Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, to Receive Honorary Doctorate from UC

Thane Maynard, executive director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science at the University of Cincinnati Commencement Ceremony at

2 p.m., Saturday, June 9, at Fifth Third Arena. T

he honorary degree represents the highest award from the university.

Maynard is one of the most prominent directors of zoos across the country and is internationally known for his innovation and dedication to wildlife preservation, research and education. Maynard is recognized as well for building both educational and research partnerships between the zoo and UC.

Maynard has authored more than a dozen books, the most recent, “Hope For Animals & Their World,” was coauthored with Jane Goodall. He has also shared science and environmental news nationwide through his longtime radio program, “The 90-Second Naturalist.”

Maynard’s travels have spanned five continents in promoting biological diversity, natural history and wildlife conservation, earning him a membership in the Explorers Club.  He is an active member of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Margo Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, a primate conservation fund headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Maynard also serves, with UC President Gregory H. Williams, on the board of the UpTown Consortium, working to strengthen the communities that are home to the university and the zoo.

Born and raised in central Florida, Maynard earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fl., and his master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources.  He is also a graduate of the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at the Harvard Business School, as well as the first National Education Leadership Institute sponsored by WWF and Disney.

Every year, more than 1.3 million people visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens’ award-winning exhibits, which hold more than 500 animal and 3,000 plant species. In 2008, Maynard introduced a zoo baby that was immediately embraced by her University of Cincinnati fans and has become a regular visitor to campus – Lucy the Bearcat.

UC Commencement Information