Cassi Lyon

Site Affiliation: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

… is interested in the many and varying forms of human-animal interactions. Her interest in animal behavior and human-animal interactions began while earning her B.A. at Eckerd College, where a project watching two western lowland gorillas at a nearby zoo highlighted the importance of animal observation and monitoring. Thanks in part to the passion sparked by that gorilla troop (particularly its members Sim-Sim, Kishina, and Mary), Cassi went on to study animal behavior in the zoo setting, where she not only reinforced her interest in gorillas, but also expanded her passion to include birds (Taveta golden weavers, lesser flamingo, carmine bee-eater), Grevy’s zebra, Sumatran tigers, and countless other species. She found being able to identify and name animal behaviors empowering and exciting to share with others!  After this, she went on to study conservation messaging and anthropomorphism in great ape exhibits, completing her Ph.D. in Biology on this topic in the Ecology, Economics, and Ethics of the Environment subprogram at Arizona State University. She continues to be drawn to the where/why/how we connect with other species and their ecosystems and to using social science to better connect with one another. She is now the Graduate Program Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and enjoys exploring local nature and city sites.