Silver Spring, MD, July 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is pleased to announce Kristine Schad as the new director of the AZA Population Management Center (PMC) located at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Kristine returns to Lincoln Park Zoo and the PMC after spending 4 years in Europe serving as the first full-time population biologist in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) office. In that role she assisted EAZA’s managed animal programs in demographic and genetic analyses, defining roles and goals for programs, and providing technical advice about small population management and software. Before that, Kristine worked at the PMC, serving as the Studbook Analyst from 2006-2008 and as a Population Biologist from 2008-2013.

Established in 2000, the PMC provides assistance to zoo professionals across the country by conducting demographic and genetic analyses and preparing breeding and transfer plans for all AZA Species Survival Plan® SSP Programs – nearly 500 in total. The focus is the long-term maintenance of healthy populations in conjunction with the education and conservation goals of accredited zoos and aquariums in North America.

“Kristine’s eleven years of experience with a wide variety of managed populations (and their datasets), her understanding of the processes and technical software used to manage zoo populations, her experience in training population advisors at both AZA’s and EAZA’s population management schools, and her experience in creating and applying management processes in two regional contexts will serve the PMC well,” said Dr. Lisa Faust, Vice President of Conservation and Science at Lincoln Park Zoo.

AZA also recently welcomed Dr. David Powell as the director of the AZA Reproductive Management Center (RMC) located at the Saint Louis Zoo. David joined the Zoo as the Director of Research in August 2016 and became Director of the RMC in December 2016. David is responsible for the oversight of behavioral, reproductive and endocrine research at the Zoo.

David holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Maryland and completed his post-doctoral studies of giant panda behavior at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park and in China. He also served as the Associate Curator of Mammals at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo in New York and as animal keeper, animal diet technician, and research intern at Zoo Atlanta. David is actively involved in AZA professional activities including serving on Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) steering committees, managing breeding programs and serving on the AZA Animal Welfare and Wildlife Conservation & Management Committees.

The AZA RMC works in tandem with the AZA PMC to identify and address the reproductive-related challenges to SSP Program sustainability. Additionally, the RMC conducts research related to reproductive challenges like infertility and mate choice, and coordinates with relevant TAGs, SSP Programs, AZA Scientific Advisory Groups (SAGs) and Committees to address population-level threats to sustainability.

“We are very enthusiastic about the new leadership at these AZA scientific centers - both of which are critical to the success of AZA’s SSP Programs,” said Dr. Candice Dorsey, AZA’s Senior Vice-President of Conservation, Management, and Welfare Sciences. “David and Kristine are experts in their respective fields and their contributions to reproductive research and population management are an incredible asset to the AZA community.”

About AZA

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and eight other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. To learn more, visit www.aza.org.

About Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo inspires communities to create environments where wildlife will thrive in our urbanizing world. The zoo is a leader in local and global conservation, animal care and welfare, learning, and science. A historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, the not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo is a privately-managed, member-supported organization and is free and open 365 days a year. To learn more, visit www.lpzoo.org.

About the Saint Louis Zoo

Chosen as America’s top free attraction and best zoo in USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the Saint Louis Zoo is widely recognized for its innovative approaches to animal care and management, wildlife conservation, research and education. One of the few free zoos in the nation, the Zoo attracts more than 3,000,000 visitors a year. For more information, visit www.stlzoo.org.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f7f1f53-9fb4-4e37-9291-f6d2ae011151

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b70b3ca7-d785-494f-8deb-5928821ae08d