CREATIVE THOUGHT AT WORK Shaping interpersonal—and interspecies—dynamics
If Jennifer Daniels ’94 is having a stressful day at work, she goes to see the caracal, a beautiful, black-eared desert cat that usually prowls in Africa and Asia. Or if she is jittery from fighting traffic around her office in Washington, D.C., she visits with the elephants, which she finds calming, especially
duced her to leadership training through Futures for Children, which encourages American Indian students to graduate from high school, pursue postsecondary education, and give back to their com- munities through public service. Daniels also studied with George Lakey’s program Training for Change,
JEN DANIELS ’94 DESIGNS SPACES FOR ZOO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS.
when they’re being bathed. These are some of the quirky perks that Daniels gets to enjoy as the land- scape architect at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, the 163-acre home to animals ranging from the icon- ic giant pandas to birds, monkeys and apes, amphibians and reptiles, and even insects. “I never expected this to be my career, but it’s pretty exciting to touch a 65-year-old elephant,” she admits. After her anthropology major at Skid- more—she was drawn initially to the dance program, but ultimately chose an academic discipline over the performing arts—Daniels’s first job was as a facilitator moderating dialogues on race relations, especially between blacks and whites in New Haven, Conn., where churches, community groups, and government agencies were seeking such interactions. She had gained the skills when an an- thropology professor, Jill Sweet, intro-
specializing in “activist training that helps groups stand up more effectively for justice, peace, and the environment,” working with youngsters who had expe- rienced violence. She says, “It shaped who I am,” and she adds, “These conflict- resolution techniques could be relevant in Los Angeles, Ireland, or Israel.” In fact, she
took them to Russia, where she and hus- band Rick Fox lived for six years. She learned the language and conducted dia- logues from Siberia to Moscow, helping people navigate the volatile interperson- al dynamics of alcoholism, unemploy- ment, and social isolation.
Back in the US, Daniels had to decide what to do next. What she cared about most was people, and how they use their spaces, so she enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania for a master’s degree in
“LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE WAS, FOR ME, NOT ABOUT PLANTS. IT WAS ABOUT
PEOPLE IN AN ENVIRONMENT —HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK.”
landscape architecture. She explains, “Landscape architecture was, for me, not about plants. It was about people in an environment—how to make that work.” As a dancer and anthropologist, “I was ready to translate those interests into fig- uring something out about human be- ings and how they occupy their space.” Next, in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Fox worked for the US Forest Service and Daniels worked for a landscape architec- ture firm on projects such as the design and construction of bridges and exhibits in Grand Teton National Park’s Rocke- feller Preserve. A promotion for Fox brought them, with their three children, back east to Washington, D.C. Daniels became the first resident landscape architect at the National Zoo since its creation in 1889 by Frederick Law Olmstead (who also designed New York City’s Central Park and other fa- mous sites—including Saratoga’s Con- gress Park). She had a steep learning curve, she admits, but notes that her background helped her build relation- ships, understand politics, and embrace challenge and problem-solving. Planning for animals as well as people was new to her, and she loves it. She has to think about topography and nutrition, efficiency and beauty, and what makes spaces safe, user- friendly, com pliant with regulations, and fun. For a carousel, “I got to pick the ani- mals for the seats and
plan how to section them according to which lived in wetlands, deserts, oceans... I still smile every time I think about it.” Also exhilarating is advocating for the zoo and its public support. Addressing “everything from conservation to rev- enue, I’ve become more of a strategic planner in the process.”
Off the job, she spends time with her kids. “And what dohey want to do?” she asks with a sigh. “They say, ‘Mom, can we go to the zoo?’” —Helen S. Edelman ’74
SPRING 2013 SCOPE 25
HILARY SCHWAB
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