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2001 SCB ELECTION

• PRESIDENT
• CATEGORY I (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION)
• CATEGORY II (GOVERNMENT AGENCY)
• CATEGORY VI (SOCIAL SCIENCES)
• MEMBER-AT-LARGE

NOTE: To vote in the 2001 SCB Election, you must use the ballot included in the hard-copy version of the November 2000 newsletter. The deadline for receipt of ballots is 1 March 2001. We hope to institute electronic voting for the 2002 election. The following personal statements were provided by the candidates for president, non-governmental organization representative, government agency representative, social sciences representative, and member-at-large.

PRESIDENT

Deborah Jensen

Issues central to SCB are in full public debate--which lands and waters shall be managed to allow the persistence of native biodiversity and where shall species and ecosystems be lost? I have spent my career working on these issues in government, academia, and the non-profit sector. SCB can and should have a greater impact by sharing excellent science with agencies, industries, and public policymakers through a strong network of individuals and publications. Since 1994 I have directed the Conservation Science Division of The Nature Conservancy. In this position I have promoted the Conservancy's shift to conserving ecoregional networks of conservation lands and waters, started the nation's first post-doctoral conservation research program, and launched a new conservation NGO for the international network of heritage programs. My doctorate is from U.C. Berkeley where I studied the growth responses of forests to global climate change. I have served on the boards of several organizations and currently serve on the editorial boards of Conservation Biology in Practice and Issues in Ecology. If elected President I will work to grow a strong and influential society. I will work to build our strength internationally, grow career opportunities for conservation biologists, and ensure the success of our new office in Washington, D.C.

Kent Redford

Like SCB, my career integrates the academic and applied dimensions of conservation. After a Ph.D. in ecology from Harvard University I spent almost ten years on the faculty at the University of Florida, helping develop interdisciplinary graduate programs in conservation and development. From there I went to The Nature Conservancy where I directed the Conservation Science and Stewardship Department in the Latin American and Caribbean Division, directed the Parks in Peril program, and helped to develop a conservation vision for the entire organization. For the last three years I have been working in the International Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York on international and national conservation issues and institutional strategies. I served on SCB's Board of Governors and currently serve on SCB's Internationalization Committee and on the journal's editorial board. With my background in science and applied conservation I would like to ensure that SCB uses its new national office to influence important U.S. and international issues facing biodiversity conservation. I would also like to continue helping to shepherd SCB's efforts to become truly international.

Steve Trombulak

As Mead Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, I have for many years been involved in undergraduate education, conservation biology research, and conservation advocacy. I am intensely interested in the role of education in shaping conservation literacy among all people (I currently teach courses in conservation biology, natural history, and environmental science) and the interplay between conservation research and education. I have published books and journal articles on a wide array of topics, including mammalian ecology, conservation education, ecological reserve design, restoration ecology, the Northern Forest policy debate, natural history, biological integrity, and the ecological effects of roads. My advocacy work has taken many forms, including membership on work groups for the Northern Forest Lands Council, Vermont Forest Resources Advisory Council, Wildlands Project, and Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads, as well as chairing my town's Conservation Commission. As a member of SCB's Board of Governors I was founding chair of SCB's Education Committee. If elected President I would work to further SCB's mission, and especially promote SCB's contributions in two key areas--conservation education and the effective use of conservation science in advocacy--by capitalizing on what I anticipate will be our soon-to-be successful efforts to internationalize SCB and open an executive office in Washington, D.C.

CATEGORY I (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION)

Robert Malpas

As a Board member, I will actively seek to increase the scope and relevance of SCB's activities to African conservation concerns, to promote African membership and participation in SCB, and to increase the linkages between conservation biologists and conservation practitioners. In Africa, there is a large gulf between conservation biology and practice; real-life management is seldom guided by scientific knowledge. Yet as Africa's conservation problems gain momentum and complexity, innovative solutions based on rigorous conservation science have never been needed more. SCB could play an important role in bridging this divide, by establishing an African chapter structure and by catalyzing and strengthening field activities that demonstrate and develop best practice in integrating conservation biology into practical management. I began my career in African conservation 30 years ago, with a Ph.D. on elephant ecology in Uganda. Since then I have worked for several conservation organizations, including WCS and WWF. For 13 years, I was the IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Director, with responsibility for designing and implementing practical field conservation projects. In 1998, after a spell at Stanford's business school, I founded the Conservation Development Company, a Nairobi-based firm with a mission to help achieve best management practice in nature conservation.

Brian Richter

I am passionately committed to the conservation of rivers and their biodiversity. I am currently leading a new "Freshwater Initiative" within The Nature Conservancy. This initiative is providing scientific, water policy, and water management expertise to support more than 40 watershed projects across the Americas. We are measurably improving the ecological integrity of freshwater systems by bringing innovative, scientifically sound solutions to local communities and water management agencies. Just as important, this initiative is changing The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest private conservation organizations in the world. The Conservancy has traditionally been very effective in applying land protection strategies for terrestrial conservation. By recruiting new expertise and helping the organization learn the science, politics, culture, and strategies appropriate for restoring hydrologic and water quality regimes, the Conservancy is rapidly gaining an ability to help conserve freshwater biodiversity at a level commensurate with its contribution to terrestrial conservation. I would like to help stimulate a similar transformation of SCB. The Society's journal and annual meetings are predominately focused on terrestrial conservation issues. If we can gain the participation of thousands of freshwater scientists, our society will begin making a much larger contribution to biodiversity conservation.

Eleanor Sterling

As Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) at the American Museum of Natural History I am deeply committed to participatory, interdisciplinary approaches to solving the biodiversity crisis. At the CBC, we build partnerships across disciplines, institutions, and borders; integrate research with education; and strengthen the use of scientific research in conservation policy and resource management worldwide. Our newest collaborative program strengthens the capacity of developing country instructors to train students in biodiversity conservation. I have worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America for 15 years, and am a member of the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas. I received a joint doctorate in Anthropology and Forestry & Environmental Studies at Yale (1993), studying the aye-aye. My postdoctoral work involved designing rapid census techniques for primate surveys. Subsequently, I trained teachers and Peace Corps Volunteers in Madagascar in student-active, inquiry-based techniques for environmental education. If elected to the Board of Governors, I would support the SCB's current emphasis on multi-disciplinary perspectives and work to strengthen the Society's international emphasis, through both encouraging broader participation by international individuals in SCB's work and increasing the scope of SCB's reach in education and policy issues into the international arena.

CATEGORY II (GOVERNMENT AGENCY)

Susan Haig

I believe SCB is unique as an organization in that we recognize (by representation on the Board of Governors) the importance of government, non-government, and academic points of view. However, the people representing these groups need to understand and respect the views of others. Thus, I am interesting in becoming the public natural resources agency representative on the SCB Board of Governors because I think I bring an integrated perspective that will facilitate stronger linkages between natural resource management agencies and the membership of SCB. This perspective stems from my current role as a federal scientist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Oregon State University, 15+ years of recovery international coordination for the Piping Plover (in federal and non-federal roles), and research experience in North America as well as the South Pacific. My research interests lie in investigating the structure, status, and recovery of small (meta) populations using tools that range from telemetry to molecular analyses to population viability analyses. Hopefully, I can provide the Board with helpful insights as we address issues related to the internationalization of SCB as well as improved mentoring of students in North America and beyond.

Loyal Mehrhoff

I am the U.S. National Park Service's Endangered Species Coordinator. In this position, I focus on policy and technical issues related to the recovery of endangered plants and animals in Parks throughout the U.S. I am interested in contributing my knowledge of natural resource agency needs so that SCB can better focus its efforts on key national and international issues. To effectively influence national policies, I think that SCB needs to (1) continue to improve relationships with conservation agencies, both nationally and internationally, (2) provide information and analyses to policy makers aimed at answering their needs, (3) focus SCB efforts on a few key issues. SCB is well positioned to increase the role of science in national debates on the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act and key programs dealing with endangered species. I have a doctorate in botany from the University of British Columbia and have worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bishop Museum, and the Center for Plant Conservation. I have also taught for the University of Washington and USFWS, chaired the USFWS Hawaii and Pacific Plant Recovery Coordinating Committee, and been an agency liaison to SCB's review of USFWS Recovery Plans.

James Powell

I have been involved with research and conservation efforts in the U.S. and abroad since 1967. Most of my work has focused on the conservation of Florida manatees with the USFWS, but has included research on West African manatees for Wildlife Conservation Society and West Indian manatees in Belize for Wildlife Trust. I have also coordinated a biological inventory of Korup National Park, Cameroon, one of the most diverse rain forests of Africa, and provided technical assistance to the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve for WCS. My Ph.D. research from Cambridge University was on the role of forest elephants as seed dispersal agents. I now direct the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's research program on marine mammals and sea turtles. My interests and work are closed tied to resource conservation and protected area initiatives and have resulted in protected areas being established in Florida, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Belize. In 2000 I was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation. The breadth of my experience of working with NGOs, government agencies, and various stakeholders on the complex issues of protected area development and the conservation of endangered species, I hope, makes me highly qualified to be the SCB agency representative.

CATEGORY VI (SOCIAL SCIENCES)

Kristina Hill

I'd like to serve on the Board to help SCB sharpen the awareness of biological conservation priorities among policy makers and members of the general public. My work in urban planning and ecological research has taken me to diverse regions of the world that share common threats to biodiversity. I think that SCB can expand its influence by serving as a catalyst for a few strategically-designed projects and publications that would help to frame regional conservation priorities. I'd like to be on the Board to support the design and publication of those projects, working with a cross-section of members and with regional representatives of the SCB. My research has focused on understanding uncertainty in GIS-based habitat maps and models, and on identifying relationships between urban development patterns and changes in ecological processes. My research colleagues work primarily in the biological sciences, and our successful collaborations frequently remind me of the necessity of cross-disciplinary work in conservation studies. Having served on several Boards in the past, I've learned that I can offer strong skills in strategic thinking to the SCB Board. I'm currently an associate professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Washington, and my Ph.D. is in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Ecology.

Stephen Kellert

I am a Professor at Yale University, professionally focusing on the connection between human and natural systems, particularly the value of biological diversity and its conservation. I have published over 100 papers, including the books Kinship to Mastery, The Value of Life, The Biophilia Hypothesis (co-editor, E.O. Wilson), and The Broken Circle (co-editor, F. Bormann). I am currently working on three books: Ordinary Nature, Children and Nature (with P. Kahn), and The Good in Nature and Humanity (with T. Farnham). I have received awards from SCB, National Wildlife Federation, International Foundation for Environmental Conservation, and elsewhere. I believe SCB should encourage the scientific and applied understanding of the connection between human well being and natural diversity. SCB has been an effective advocate for the conservation of wildland species and habitats. It should also demonstrate the importance of human experience of biological diversity in developed environments, including urban settings. This represents a scientific and interdisciplinary challenge. More publications are needed of studies of this relationship based on social and natural science concepts and methodologies. SCB can encourage this work, as well as promote the protection of natural process and diversity in developed as well as wildland settings.

James Tolisano

Conservation biology in practice is rapidly entering a new realm of participation and need. We have learned repeatedly that solutions to our conservation issues require the input of a highly interdisciplinary mix of professionals and practitioners from every conceivable cultural, intellectual, and professional background, and particularly from developing nations. As a member of the SCB Board I would like to help SCB strengthen its role and advocacy of this diversification. As a conservation practitioner, I have worked on the design, management, and evaluation of applied regional and transnational projects in 25 countries. I have also worked extensively developing and implementing conservation education programs for students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools, and most recently developed a multidisciplinary and applied undergraduate degree program in conservation biology at The College of Santa Fe (CSF) in New Mexico. As an Associate Professor and Field Program Director in the Institute for Conservation Studies program, I oversee degree programs in eight conservation themes, and enable students from the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to blend skills and capabilities from each of these disciplines in crafting practical conservation solutions. I also manage a broad array of field programs for CSF in the western U.S., Central and South America, Africa, and the Mediterranean.

Ray Victurine

I joined SCB because of my strong commitment to conservation and my concern for peoples' livelihood issues, especially in the developing world. From 1994 through 1999 I lived in Africa and worked with various organizations to bring conservation issues into the public and economic debate. While working in Uganda I led efforts to create a foundation and land trust to promote biodiversity conservation on private land and seek economic opportunities through these conservation efforts. Through this organization and from the Board of another Ugandan trust fund, I promoted post-graduate social science research funding linked to conservation issues. I believe that greater conservation-focused social science research is required to influence economic and development policy supportive of long-term conservation objectives. From the United States I continue to work with conservation organizations and trust funds to support greater investments in conservation and promote conservation-focused economic development. I seek election to the Board of Governors of SCB as a voice for continued and expanded interdisciplinary, applied conservation research. Also I will promote opportunities for greater applied research from social and natural scientists from developing countries and develop a forum and audience for this research.

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Fred Allendorf

I hope to contribute a balanced view of research, education, and personal commitment to the Board of Governors. My primary research applies the principles of population genetics to conservation. My research group collaborates closely with a variety of fish and wildlife management agencies. I have taught a course in Ecology and Buddhism for the last five years at the University of Montana. The primary objective of this course is to convert the intellectual knowledge of interdependence among all living creatures to a deep understanding and a transformation of behavior. I am currently on the Board of Governors for The Nature Conservancy in Montana. SCB has been my primary scientific society since I attended the first annual meeting in 1987. I have served SCB as faculty sponsor of the local chapter (1994-present), as a member of the Editorial Board (1990-1993), as member of the Awards Committee (1999-2000), and as co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the annual meeting in June 2000. I also have contributed my first-born to SCB. My daughter Terilyn received her Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, and does research on the relationship between parks and people in Nepal and Myanmar.

Kamal Bawa

I am a Distinguished Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. I have worked in the field of conservation for the last 30 years in Central America and south Asia. I have been a Bullard Fellow at Harvard University, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment. I am currently the President of the Association for Tropical Biology, and serve on the boards of several conservation organizations and foundations. I am also the founder-trustee of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Bangalore, India), a non-governmental organization devoted to research, action, and education in conservation. I served SCB as associate editor of Conservation Biology (1987-1993). As a member of the board, I would bring my experience in academia and non-governmental organizations, and in the developed and developing world, to bear upon the future agenda of SCB. Specifically, I will advocate greater integration of natural and social sciences and action oriented research to meet contemporary challenges; assist in developing a larger international profile than at present; and enhance collaboration and interactions among conservation biologists and policy makers in different parts of the world.

Doug Bolger

I am an associate professor in the Environmental Studies Program at Dartmouth College. I believe in the importance of good science in the policy process and have endeavored to conduct research that is relevant to conservation. My research focuses on the effects of human land-use on animal populations in southern California, the northeastern U.S. and East Africa. I am also involved in an interdisciplinary book project with colleagues at the Vermont Law School to explore the interaction of ecological science, and law and policy, particularly in the emerging area of ecosystem management. The interdisciplinary theme is also present in my teaching; I teach courses in conservation biology, environmental science, environmental literature, and a field course on development and environmental issues in Africa. I have been a member of SCB since 1987. I am interested in serving on the board because the values of SCB are so closely aligned with my own and because its members are interesting and passionate. I would work hard to promote SCB's ideals of inter-disciplinary scholarship, internationalism, and the importance of science in the policy process. I am particularly enthusiastic about SCB's recent decision to pursue a Washington D.C. office and would like to contribute to the fulfillment of this initiative.

Lyn Branch

As an associate professor at the University of Florida, I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in conservation biology and serve as associate director of the Program for Studies in Tropical Conservation, an interdisciplinary program that develops human resources and strengthens institutions in tropical countries through integrated research and teaching. My research program focuses on linkages between animal populations and landscape dynamics as a basis for understanding the consequences of ecological extinction, facilitating restoration, and developing integrated management strategies. As Honorary Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the National University of La Pampa, Argentina since 1990, I have taught conservation biology and conducted field training for students and natural resource managers in Argentina on a regular basis. In addition, I have served on the scientific advisory board of the Argentine National Park Service and worked for 3 years with the Brazilian National Park Service. If elected to the Board of Governors, I would work to help SCB address the gap between scientific research and conservation "on the ground" in the USA and in other countries. I am committed to the internationalization of SCB and would work to enhance the relevance of SCB to a global membership and to develop resources for teaching conservation biology internationally.

John Ogden

I am a marine ecologist, director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography, and Professor of Biology at the University of South Florida. I am active in conservation and management of coastal and ocean resources, serving as a member of the boards of the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for Marine Conservation. I am the ex-president of the International Society for Reef Studies, with over 750 members in 50 countries, and I serve on the editorial advisory board of Conservation Biology in Practice. In Florida and the Caribbean, I am working on ecoregional approaches to marine research and on networks of marine protected areas through multi-institutional, international programs. SCB is potentially the most influential organization of its kind in the world. As we move into a new era of activism in informing conservation policy with a central office and a new journal, I will seek to increase our membership with marine scientists, conservationists, and resource managers. At the same time, I will work to move SCB to a position of leadership linking conservation science and policy on land and sea, increase our international influence, and strengthen our collective voice in sustaining global biodiversity.

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