Born in Kansas, Shawna Stucky was raised in Oklahoma and graduated from Blackwell High School. She attained a B.S. degree in Biology and two minors in Art and World Literature from Penn State, May 2005. She is a member of the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH). She endeavors to pursue her interests in photography, marine biology, sharks, and teaching.

Shawna's photography and poetry has been recognized by the International Library of Photography and The Poetry Guild respectively. Her work in both black and white film and color digital photography has been recognized in various student art exhibits and contests by both her peers and professors. Her work has been characterized as uncanny and intimate. Shawna's photography never fails to draw out reflective discussion and at times touches upon the sensitive subjects of one's thoughts. She believes that her work should speak for itself and feels no conviction to explain the destination in her photography.