JENNIFER CASSIDY
Faculty Advisor
Jennifer Cassidy is currently a third-grade teacher in Guilford County, North Carolina; this is her 17th year as an elementary educator. She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University to obtain her Batchelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. She went on to receive her Teaching License at Guilford College, a Master of Education at Elon University, and is Nationally Board Certified. Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors whether it be sitting on a patio with friends or finding the peace of a walk or short run outside. She values the idea of continuous growth and appreciates the opportunities to learn from others and through new experiences.
JENNIFER CASSIDY
Faculty Advisor
Jennifer Cassidy is currently a third-grade teacher in Guilford County, North Carolina; this is her 17th year as an elementary educator. She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University to obtain her Batchelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. She went on to receive her Teaching License at Guilford College, a Master of Education at Elon University, and is Nationally Board Certified. Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors whether it be sitting on a patio with friends or finding the peace of a walk or short run outside. She values the idea of continuous growth and appreciates the opportunities to learn from others and through new experiences.
Mindy is a data management specialist working in the registrar’s office at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she helps manage records on all of the animals and biomaterials in NZCBI’s care. She previously worked as an animal caregiver for more than two decades with a variety of species including bears, big cats, primates, and small carnivores. With a Ph.D. in psychology focused on animal behavior and cognition, she has conducted behavioral and cognitive research with bears in an effort to improve their management in zoos. Mindy consults with a variety of NGOs, accredited and non-accredited zoos around the world, and state animal law enforcement to help assess animal welfare issues and educate caregivers on proper husbandry for bears and other species. Mindy is the vice president of the Bear Care Group, an international non-profit whose mission is to foster improvements in global bear welfare. She is also the studbook keeper for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) sun bear population, and a member of AZA’s Bear Taxon Advisory Group Steering Committee.
Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Herrelko is the Animal Welfare and Research Manager at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She focuses on advancing animal welfare science with an emphasis on animal management and how animals think. Betsy leads the Animal Welfare and Animal Care and Use Committees to ensure compliance with regulations and facilitate best practices for all species at the zoo, is responsible for overseeing research within Animal Care Sciences, and consults across animal care units on applied practices. She joined the Zoo in 2012 as the David Bohnett Cognitive Research Fellow studying cognitive bias (a measure of emotional affect) in apes. Prior to the Smithsonian, Betsy earned her master’s degree from Hunter College (New York) and her PhD from the University of Stirling (Scotland). In addition to traditional dissemination of information methods in academia, Betsy also communicates her science story through natural history documentaries. Her work with primates has been featured on the BBC, Animal Planet, and Discovery Channel.