|
 Kevin
C. Zippel, Ph.D
Program Director
Kevin
graduated with honors as BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from
Cornell University (1994) and got his Ph.D in Zoology from the University of
Florida in 2000.
Currently he
coordinates all aspects of the Amphibian Ark initiative, and supervises the
four AArk officers to: address the amphibian extinction crisis, establish
international communication networks and build partnerships, facilitate
species prioritization, acquisition, and management, run
management/husbandry training workshops and lead global publicity and
capital campaigns.
Kevin has been Project
Coordinator of Proyecto Rana Dorada
(Project Golden Frog) since 1999. This is a multi-institutional,
multidisciplinary, international conservation program to prevent the
extinction of one of the world’s most culturally significant amphibians, the
Panamanian golden frog, the project includes field studies, captive
breeding, and range-country education initiatives.
Kevin is also working as Affiliate Professor at New Century College, George
Mason University, teaching AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums)
Conservation Academy courses to students seeking college credit. From 2001 to 2004, Kevin worked as Adjunct Associate Professor, at the Department of
Zoology, Michigan State University supervising undergraduates conducting
internships in the Zoo and Aquarium Science program.
For four years (January 2000 - October 2004) Kevin worked as Zoological Curator
of the National Amphibian Conservation Center, Detroit Zoo, where he managed
12,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated to amphibian conservation where he oversaw
a collection of rare and endangered amphibians averaging fifty species and 1,000
specimens, including population management, in situ studies, and release
programs; Kevin also supervised a staff of seven; trained interpretive
volunteers; designed exhibits and graphics and departmental (and ATAG)
website; he also oversaw the zoo Green Team.
His AZA involvement included: member of Reintroduction SAG (2002-4), Green
Practices SAG (2002-2004, secretary 2002-4), Amphibian TAG (1999-2004, vice
chair 2003-4), Puerto Rican Crested Toad SSP (committee member 2003-4).
In 1998 - 1999 Kevin worked as Curatorial Intern at the Department of
Herpetology, at the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society. He oversaw the
amphibian collection and keepers, conducted water quality
monitoring/maintenance, re-wrote reptile and amphibian collection plan,
designed exhibits and graphics, and directed the design of the departmental
web page.
Select Publications:
Browne, R.K., R.A. Odum,
T. Herman, and K.C. Zippel. 2007. Facility design and associated services
for the study of amphibians. ILAR Journal 48:188-202.
Browne, R.K. and K.C.
Zippel. 2007. Reproduction and larval rearing of amphibians. ILAR Journal
48:214-234.
Zippel, K.C., R. Ibáñez
D., E.D. Lindquist, C.L. Richards, C.A. Jaramillo A., and E.J. Griffith.
2007 (“2006”). Implicaciones en la conservación de las ranas doradas de
Panamá, asociadas con su revisión taxonómica. Herpetotropicos 3:29-39.
Lee, S., K.
Zippel, L. Ramos, and J. Searle.
2006. Captive-breeding
programme for the Kihansi spray toad Nectophrynoides asperginis at
the Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York. International Zoo
Yearbook 40:241-253.
Mendelson,
J.R. III, and 49 other authors. 2006. Confronting amphibian declines and
extinctions. Science 313:48.
Zippel, K.C. 2006. Further
observations of oviposition in the Surinam toad (Pipa pipa), with
comments on biology, misconceptions, and husbandry. Herpetological Review
37:60-68.
Zippel, K., R. Lacy, and O. Byers (eds.) 2006. CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Ex
Situ Conservation Planning Workshop Final Report. IUCN/SSC Conservation
Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA.
Rickard, A., E. Sonntag
and K. Zippel. 2004. Amphibian conservation strategies: Translocating an
entire population of Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)
in southeast Michigan. The Endangered Species UPDATE 21:128-131.
Zippel,
K.C. 2004. Zoos play a vital role in amphibian conservation. AmphibiaWeb
online
www.amphibiaweb.org/aw/declines/zoo/index.html
Zippel, K.C. 2002.
Conserving the Panamanian Golden Frog: Proyecto Rana Dorada. Herpetological
Review 33:11-12.
Snider, A. and
K. Zippel 2000. Amphibian
conservation at the Detroit Zoological Institute. Declining Amphibian
Populations Task Force (DAPTF) FROGLOG online, August 2000 No. 40.
http://www.open.ac.uk/daptf/froglog/FROGLOG-40-4.html
|
