Who’s Involved

Who’s Involved

Image credit: Kimberly Fraser

The individuals below work above and beyond their already demanding conservation roles to advance the goals of the Quick Response Fund for Nature.

Expert Advisory Panel

The QRFN Expert Advisory Panel members review project proposals that align with their geographic and species areas of expertise. These advisors, who are world-renowned conservation biologists and taxonomic specialists, volunteer their time and commit to reviewing proposals in a timely manner. They are crucial to the ability of QRFN to select and fund the most deserving projects. 

  • Dr. Dave Augeri

    Director and Principal Conservation Scientist, Biodiversity Unlimited Research and Consulting Group Adjunct Professor, University of Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources Science

    Dr. Dave Augeri has 35 years of expertise in endangered and rare species, biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystems around the world, along with the design and designation of protected areas. He is a member and advisor to the World Commission on Protected Areas, IUCN, UNESCO, and various SSC Specialist Groups and Expert Teams, among other entities.

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  • Dr. Bruce Beehler

    Research Associate Smithsonian Institution: American Bird Conservancy

    Bruce Beehler is an ornithologist and naturalist with professional affiliations with the Smithsonian Institution and the American Bird Conservancy. After a long career focused on forests and birds of the Asia Pacific Region, he now focuses on the natural history of North America. His most recent book, published by Princeton, is entitled New Guinea--Nature and Culture of Earth's Grandest Island.

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  • Dr. Dominick DellaSala

    Chief Scientist Wild Heritage/Earth Island Institute

    Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage and former President of the Society for Conservation Biology, North America, is an internationally renowned author of over 250 peer-reviewed papers and books on forests and climate change.

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  • Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo

    Professor Stanford University

    Rodolfo Dirzo, a Professor at Stanford University, teaches Ecology, Conservation Science, and Bio-Cultural Diversity. His research includes evolution of plant defenses, plant and animal extinction, and how this affects ecosystem services and human wellbeing. His work is conducted in Latin America, the Central Pacific, East Africa, and Northern California. His research involves local indigenous and rural communities from the countries where he works.

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  • Dr. Erica Fleishman

    Oregon State University

    Erica’s research focuses on ecological responses to changes in land use, land cover, and climate in the western United States. She also contributes to conservation planning for threatened species on public and private lands.

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  • Dr. David Inouye

    Researcher University of Maryland, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

    David is retired from teaching at the University of Maryland, and active in long-term research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, where he has worked since 1971 on wildflowers and pollinators.

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  • Dr. Adrian Forsyth

    Executive Director Andes Amazon Fund

    Adrian began his career as a tropical field conservationist active since 1971. He earned his PhD with EO Wilson, and is the founder of three Conservation NG0s and the Andes Amazon Initiative at Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. He is founder and a strategic advisor at Andes Amazon Fund.

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  • Dr. Yadvendradev Jhala

    Senior Professor and Dean Wildlife Institute of India

    Dr.Jhala is the Senior Professor and Dean at the Wildlife Institute of India, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. His primary research has focused in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and some in Sri Lanka (all kinds of ecoregions in these areas). Primarily his research has been on carnivores and ungulates and covers aspects of conservation biology, behavior, conservation genetics, demography, landscape status surveys, and eco-physiology.

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  • Dr. Clinton Jenkins

    Professor Florida International University

    Dr. Jenkins studies the conservation of biodiversity and efforts to protect and restore tropical ecosystems. Specializing in using spatial analysis and remote sensing to answer conservation questions, his research has taken him to the Brazilian Atlantic Forests, Florida Everglades, Central America, and across the Amazon.

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  • Dr. Marcella Kelly

    Professor Virginia Tech University Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation

    Marcella Kelly studies predator demography and is interested in co-existence ecology, especially of wild felids. She uses a variety of techniques including remote cameras, genetic sampling, and GPS collars.

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  • Dr. Gary Krupnick

    Head of the Plant Conservation Unit Smithsonian Institution Department of Botany

    Dr. Gary Krupnick is a research scientist studying plant conservation biology and plant-pollinator interactions. He has conducted conservation assessments of plants of Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

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  • Dr. John Longino

    Professor University of Utah Department of Biology

    Dr. John (Jack) Longino specializes in tropical insect diversity and has coordinated large-scale biodiversity inventory projects in Central America. His research focus is on the taxonomy and ecology of Neotropical ants, and he was an early promoter of web-based dissemination of biodiversity data.

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  • Dr. Pete Lowry

    Director Missouri Botanical Garden Africa and Madagascar Program

    Pete Lowry, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Africa and Madagascar Program, studies the evolution and classification of plants and several tropical floras (Madagascar, New Caledonia), and also coordinates MBG’s extensive research and conservation work in Madagascar.

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  • Dr. Binbin Li

    Assistant Professor Duke Kunshan University

    Dr. Binbin Li is the IUCN Species Survival Commission expert and associate editor of Frontiers of Ecology and Evolution. She serves on the editorial board of Conservation Biology, Global Ecology and Conservation and Biodiversity Science. Her research focuses on identifying pathways and synergy between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, including priority setting and management of protected areas, how human disturbances and climate change influence endangered and endemic species and vertebrate community composition.

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  • Dr. Karen Lips

    Professor of Biology University of Maryland

    Dr. Karen Lips is Professor of Biology at the University of Maryland. She is an ecologist, specializing on causes and impacts of global change, and impacts on natural ecosystems and human well-being.

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  • Dr. Lina Maria Sanchez Clavijo

    Ecologist Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt

    Lina is an ecologist with over 15 years experience in bird ecology and biodiversity conservation; her current work focuses on integrating monitoring and citizen science data for decision making at different scales.

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  • Dr. Peter Marra

    Director Georgetown Environmental Initiative (GEI) at Georgetown University

    Peter Marra uses birds to help define and understand broad environmental issues, tackling contemporary conservation challenges by addressing fundamental knowledge gaps at the intersection of ornithology, ecology, and conservation biology.

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  • Dr. Rodrigo Medellín

    Senior Professor National Autonomous University of Mexico Institute of Ecology

    Rodrigo is a Senior Professor at UNAM´s Institute of Ecology, working on mammal conservation in Mexico and 16 other countries. He has produced over 250 publications, presided various societies and represented Mexico before CITES and other MEAs. BBC, National Geographic, etc. have covered his work.

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  • Dr. Reed Noss

    President Florida Institute for Conservation Science

    Dr. Reed Noss is a conservation writer and photographer. He is an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, former Editor-in-Chief, Conservation Biology, and Past-President of the Society for Conservation Biology.

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  • Dr. Michael Parr

    President American Bird Conservancy

    Mike Parr joined ABC in 1996 after graduating from the University of East Anglia, UK, and working for BirdLife International. He has coauthored several books including: Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the World, Important Bird Areas in the United States, and The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation, along with numerous articles and papers. He is Chair of the Alliance for Zero Extinction and a member of the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

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  • Dr. Maria Tapia

    Faculty Member Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Biological and Agricultural Science Department

    Dr. Maria Tapia is an Ecuadorian researcher interested in the study of land use and land cover change, geographical species distribution and its relationship with landscape dynamics and conservation at landscape level. She is a faculty member of the Biological and Agricultural Science department at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in the subjects of Landscape Ecology, Global Change, Geographical Information Systems, Ecology and Climate Change.

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  • Dr. Stuart Pimm

    Duke University; Saving Nature

    Stuart Pimm holds the Doris Duke Chair of Conservation at Duke University and is a leading authority on species extinctions and how to prevent them. His honours included the Tyler, Heineken, and Cosmos Prizes.

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  • Dr. Michael Proctor

    Canadian bear research ecologist IUCN SCSC Bear Specialist Group

    Michael Proctor has researched grizzly bears in British Columbia Canada for 25 years. His uses landscape genetics and GPS telemetry to inform connectivity, habitat, ecological modeling, and human-wildlife conflicts. He’s also involved in conservation efforts of bear species internationally.

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  • Dr. Ursula Valdez

    Avian ecologist University of Washington Bothell

    Dr. Ursula Valdez (she/hers) is Peruvian-USA tropical avian ecologist interested in the study of species interactions and community ecology in the Neotropical regions, and more recently in the PNW. She is teaching faculty at the University of Washington Bothell where she teaches Ecology, Natural History, field ecology, conservation, and sustainability. She also spends time in the Peruvian Amazon collecting data on bird ecology and diversity and training students in field ecology and conservation of tropical rainforest. She combines her teaching activities with hands-on field experiences, study abroad programs and interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues and students around the world

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  • Dr. Neil Burgess

    Professor of Conservation Science University of Copenhagen Close
  • Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Maya

    ProCAT Close
  • Dr. Richard Cowling

    The Pew Charitable Trust, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Close
  • Dr. Peter Cutter

    The Regional Community Forestry Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) Close
  • Dr. Eric Dinerstein

    Director, Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions RESOLVE Close
  • Dr. Stephanie Dolrenry

    Lion Guardians, Kenya Close
  • Dr. Martha Groom

    University of Washington Bothell & Seattle Close
  • Dr. Rodney Jackson

    Snow Leopard Conservancy Close
  • Dr. Kyran Kunkel

    University of Montana Close
  • Dr. John Kress

    Smithsonian Institution Close
  • Dr. John Lamoreux

    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Close
  • Dr. Brian Gratwicke

    Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Close
  • Mr. Rod Mast

    Oceanic Society Close
  • Dr. David Olson

    Conservation Earth Consulting Close
  • Dr. John Payne

    Borneo Rhino Alliance Close
  • Dr. Jan Schipper

    Arizona Center for Nature Conservation, Phoenix Zoo Close
  • Mr. Ben Skolnik

    Alliance for Zero Extinction Close
  • Dr. Luis Anibal Solorzano

    Tompkins Conservation; Princeton University Close
  • Dr. Patricia Townsend

    Washington State University Close
  • Dr. Eric Wikramanayake

    WWF Hong Kong Close
  • Dr. George Wittemyer

    Colorado State University Close
  • Dr. Patricia Wright

    Stony Brook University Close
  • Dr. Bette Loiselle

    University of Florida Close

Staff

  • Dr. Eric Dinerstein

    Founder and Senior Advisor Quick Response Fund for Nature

    Eric brings more than four decades of hands-on experience saving endangered large mammals and tropical rainforest habitat to the QRFN.

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  • Dr. Carly Vynne

    Director Quick Response Fund for Nature

    Carly works with the Project Directors, Expert Advisory Panel, funders, and grantees to ensure strong operations and governance. She brings a background in conservation biology and experience in assembling diverse partnerships to design, fund, and implement successful conservation programs. Prior to joining RESOLVE, Carly was the Director of Wildlife and Habitat Conservation at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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  • Sanjiv Fernando

    Coordinator Quick Response Fund for Nature

    Sanjiv coordinates proposal reviews and provides administrative support for QRFN. He brings a background in Environmental Science & Policy and experience working with communities to implement innovative solutions to prevent human-wildlife conflict and poaching.

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  • Andy Lee

    Associate Quick Response Fund for Nature

    Andy coordinates project inquiries and proposal reviews for QRFN. He brings a background in conservation biology and policy sciences. Prior to joining RESOLVE and QRFN, his research experience includes on human-wildlife coexistence, illegal wildlife trade, and large carnivore reintroductions.

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