CEO and Project Lead

Patrick received his Ph.D. from at Makerere University with stints abroad at McGill University and is now a Senior Research Fellow at Makerere.  He has worked in Kibale National Park, Uganda for 22 years and now plays a central role in the operation and promotion of Makerere University Biological Field Station.

Restoration Ecology

Emmanuel holds a Masters from Makerere University and is nearing completion of his Ph.D.  His Ph.D. research has provided the “proof of concept” of our efforts, positioning the project to expand and develop a sustainable model for restoration in Kibale and other national parks in Uganda.

Uganda Wildlife Authority

Dorothy holds a Masters degree from Makerere University, where she investigated the conservation value of a union of the provision of health care and conservation.  She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. assessing how conservation projects, including this one, affect relations between parks and local communities.  As the Ecological Monitoring and Research Officer of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Dorothy serves as a crucial liaison with national park services, aiding us in developing a sustainable restoration model that will likely incorporate carbon credit and tourism elements for the restored sites. Additionally, she maintains an essential connection with the local community.

Project & Finance Officer

Selly has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Makerere University that investigated how the chimpanzee ecotourism conservation project in Kibale contributed to the local economy.  She is a business owner in Kampala with considerable experience in operating in the financial systems of Uganda.

Technical Advisor and Grant Writer

Colin received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, then did post-docs at McGill and Harvard Universities and held faculty positions at the University of Florida and McGill University where he was the Canada Research Chair Tier 1 position in Primate Ecology and Conservation. He is a Killam Research Fellow and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, was awarded the Konrad Adenauer Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and an Office of an Academician, Northwest University, Xi’an, China.  His efforts with respect to the union of the provision of health care and conservation resulted in him being awarded the Velan Foundation Awardee for Humanitarian Service.  He has coauthored over 600+ scientific papers, many in leading journals including Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He has worked in Kibale for 35+ years and brings a wealth of experience to our team.

Grant Writer

Claire received her Ph.D. from Duke University and completed a post-doc at the University of Brunei.  She was a Program Director, National Science Foundation managing portfolios with annual budgets of up to $40M.  Previously, she served as the Education Director at the Botanical Society of America. Her extensive global network and experience in education and outreach are invaluable to our team.

Technical Advisor on Social Issues

Dipto received his Ph.D. from McGill University and is now an  Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa.  His research addresses challenges at the intersection of biodiversity conservation and its human dimensions. He examines the complex interactions between conservation initiatives, local populations, and ecosystems. The goal of his work is to translate these findings into practical conservation approaches that effectively protect biodiversity and enhance the long-term resilience of ecosystems, while being fundamentally more equitable for the people living alongside protected areas.