ROYAL OAK, Mich., August 3, 2007 – The Detroit Zoological Society has appointed Danna Schock to the position of Curator of Amphibians at the Detroit Zoo’s National Amphibian Conservation Center (NACC).  She is responsible for all Amphibian Department operations, including animal care, conservation programs, guest and staff education programs, and staff training.

Schock joins the Detroit Zoo from Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences, where she is a doctoral candidate.  In addition to conducting graduate research and teaching, she worked as a contract biologist for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in Ottawa, and as a field ecologist for the Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation.

“Danna's lifelong passion for amphibians and her background in amphibian disease ecology make her a perfect fit for the leadership role at the NACC, especially at this time of global amphibian decline,” said Scott Carter, Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare. 

Schock will defend her doctoral dissertation in biology from ASU this fall.  She earned her master’s degree in biology from the University of Regina in Canada and obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Lethbridge in Canada, where she graduated with distinction and completed four independent research studies, including behavioral ecology studies of tiger salamanders.

A native of the Edmonton, Alberta area, Schock resides in Birmingham, Mich.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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