Shin-Ping Lao

Interpretation/Resource Management Intern, Environmental Conservation

Shin-Ping Lao serves as an Interpretation and Resource Management Intern with the Student Conservation Association in Beatrice, Nebraska. She accepted the position in April 2011. In addition to working in tandem with park staff to help manage natural and cultural resources, Shin-Ping Lao assists in educational activities and the planning of special events. She also enjoys other forms of direct involvement and helps the park to manage water quality and vegetation growth. Before beginning her current position, Shin-Ping Lao led outdoor recreation trips through the J. Wayne Reitz Union at the University of Florida. She held responsibility for all levels of trip preparation and execution, including planning, organization, and direct on-the-ground leadership. The trips included a wide array of outdoor adventure opportunities, including camping, biking, kayaking, backpacking, and snorkeling. Shin-Ping Lao perceived these activities as opportunities to both enjoy nature and learn how to responsibly travel through it. She carefully wove education into all aspects of each trip, and participants were taught Leave No Trace practices. At the end of her tenure in this post, she mentored an incoming trip leader to ensure the continued success of the program. Shin-Ping Lao completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida, where she majored in zoology and minored in Spanish and botany. Recognized with distinction throughout her education, Shin-Ping Lao funded her entire university degree with merit-based scholarships and finally graduated cum laude with a grade point average of 3.83. She received a number of other distinctions while at the university, such as inclusion on the Dean’s List for six semesters and the President’s Honor Roll for two semesters. Shin-Ping Lao began performing research during her undergraduate career and ultimately co-authored a published scientific paper during her junior year. The paper appeared in a well-respected journal, Biology of Reproduction. Shin-Ping Lao has already contributed to a variety of research projects and has worked in both the Laboratory of Reproductive and Development Toxicology and the Comparative Medicine Branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. An avid reader, Shin-Ping Lao enjoys both modern works and literary masterpieces widely acclaimed around the world. Some of Shin-Ping Lao’s favorites include Brave New World, Jane Eyre, Everything Is Illuminated, The Road, and Ender’s Game.