Dr. Brandie Smith — In the Company of Pandas: My Life with the World's Favorite Bear - with Annalisa Meyer

Dr. Brandie Smith discusses her book *In the Company of Pandas: My Life with the World’s Favorite Bear*, offering personal stories and scientific perspectives from her work with giant pandas. She explores their behavior, biology, individual personalities, conservation challenges, and the experience of caring for, training, feeding, and raising pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Smith also addresses panda reproduction, climate change, habitat loss, breeding programs, exchanges with China, and the continuing effort to prevent the species from going extinct. She will be joined in conversation by Annalisa Meyer, who leads brand management and communications for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

When: Thursday, November 19, 2026

Showtime: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Format: In-person event with a livestream option

Tickets: Free admission; seating is first come, first served.

Speakers: Dr. Brandie Smith, director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, in conversation with Annalisa Meyer, the institution’s director of brand management and communications.

About Dr. Brandie Smith: Smith has decades of experience in animal care, conservation, and zoo management. She has overseen endangered-species breeding programs and witnessed major moments in panda conservation, including births and rescue operations. Originally from Indiana, Pennsylvania, she began her career as an intern at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the National Zoo.

About Annalisa Meyer: Meyer directs marketing and communications for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, sharing the organization’s wildlife, science, and conservation work with audiences worldwide.

Book: *In the Company of Pandas: My Life with the World’s Favorite Bear* is available for preorder as a $30 hardcover, with publication scheduled for November 10, 2026.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask accessibility questions, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests received up to the event time.