Sue Chin is the Vice President of Planning and Design and Chief Architect for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS.) Sue is a licensed New York State Architect and has been with WCS since 1982. Sue is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the American Association of Museums, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She heads a multidisciplinary department responsible for exhibit design, interpretation, graphic design, architecture, landscape design and construction management at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, New York Aquarium, and select global sites.
An important aspect of her work is creating ways to connect people with animals and nature and inspiring advocacy for wildlife conservation. Sue has been an integral part of the design for numerous award-winning Bronx Zoo projects, including Congo, Tiger Mountain, the Center for Global Conservation, and the Lion House Madagascar! exhibit.
At the New York Aquarium, Sue headed an extensive design and construction effort for Ocean Wonders: Sharks, a major new building and exhibit recognized in 2019 for Excellence in Exhibit Design by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Most recently, she led the completion of a master plan for the Bronx Zoo and is working with the team to design the new animal exhibit experiences.
Sue has collaborated on WCS global conservation projects in Uganda and Kenya aimed at connecting increasingly urban communities to their native wildlife. Her work in Central and South America includes architecture and exhibit design for an interpretive center in Costa Rica and the design of a marine research facility in Belize. Other completed global projects include the design and construction of an interpretive center at Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, and an education campus and visitor’s center in Madagascar.
All of these projects illustrate how design and integrated content contribute to inspiring people to care about nature and animals with the ultimate goal of creating advocates for the conservation of wildlife and nature.