Brandie Smith

Dr. Brandie Smith is the director of the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute at the Smithsonian Institution. With decades of experience in animal care, conservation, and zoo management, she has overseen critical breeding programs for endangered species and has personally witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in panda conservation history, including multiple births and rescue operations at one of America’s premier zoological institutions. Originally from Indiana, Pennsylvania, she grew up around animals and began her professional career as an intern at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the National Zoo.