Jennie Janssen is the president and co-founder of Minorities in Aquarium & Zoo Science (MIAZS). She is also an assistant curator at the National Aquarium and a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
During the last two decades, Janssen has specialised in the care of both elasmobranchs and jellyfish at various public aquariums, including Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and Georgia Aquarium. In her current role, she manages the team that cares for the ‘Jellies Invasion’ gallery, culture lab, and large marine fish exhibits.
Janssen leads the International Census of Chondrichthyans in Human Care, serves on the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) professional development committee, and is the co-creator of the Kraken Curriculum, a resource of training, sessions from conferences, and other professional development materials. She frequently speaks at industry events, such as the AZA Annual Conference.
In 2021, Janssen co-created MIAZS with Meghan Holst, a senior aquarium biologist and PhD student at UC Davis. The goal of MIAZS is to promote diversity and inclusion in the zoo and aquarium sector, bringing more people of colour into the field as well as supporting and retaining minorities who already work in the sector.
“The work Jennie is leading through MIAZS has recently been cited at the opening session of the AZA Annual Conference,” said one nominator. “With over 100 members and friends in the MIAZS network, Jennie’s work significantly impacts our field.
In 2022, Janssen gave a keynote speech at the POSea 2022 Conference, which highlights the work of people of colour in the marine and aquatic sciences. She later received the National Aquarium’s premier employee service award. In 2023, she was interviewed and featured in multiple articles for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month by Canopy Strategic Partners and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Janssen also shares her experiences through the MIAZS webinars and blog.