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Ingrid Roper

Ingrid Roper has worked as a volunteer for the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Invertebrate Zoology/Mollusks for 32 years. Her role as volunteer has included:

Translation from German to English of volumes of monographs, scientific papers and articles, all pertaining to cephalopods (squids, octopuses, cuttlefishes).

Correspondence to colleagues, students and fans about giant squid.

Contact person to handle requests for interviews and information about cephalopods.

Photodocumentation of expedition research activities at sea and on shore with 35mm, digital and video cameras.

Records and data keeper of scientific dive logs and recording measurements; records notes and data taken during dissections of specimens in museums and laboratories. Photographs specimens.

Typist for monographs, scientific papers and magazine articles.

Journalist and reporter for Daily Dispatches on the Giant Squid web site, in collaboration with other expedition scientists and colleagues at NASA.

Edits, proofreads manuscripts and galleys of research and popular articles.

Ingrid Roper received her bachelor's degree in German and English from Transylvania University, Lexington, KY in 1959. She studied for 1 year at University Bonn, Germany. Ms. Roper worked as a high school German and English teacher for seven years and was a tutor of German for Language Proficiency Exams for graduate students before becoming a volunteer at the Smithsonian Institution. She uses computer technology regularly in her volunteer work.

Other volunteer activities include: Administrative Assistant at her church for 6 years; Clerk of the Council, 4 years; Potomac Association Church and Ministry Committee In-Care Coordinator, 5 years; choir member 35 years; numerous committees and task forces; assistant to elder support group; youth group advisor and leader; teacher's aide, Fairfax County. Other hands-on experience includes running a catering business for 10 years.

Her hobby is knitting.

Ingrid Roper resides in Vienna, VA with her husband Clyde and has two grown sons.