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Africa Region E-mentoring Program

The SCB Africa Region E-mentoring Program is the first virtual mentoring program in conservation biology aimed specifically at African students and early career researchers. The program started in 2007, and has successfully completed five mentoring sessions in 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2014/2015, and 2018/2019. About 80 mentees across all regions in Africa have been mentored by volunteer mentors from different parts of the world. Examples of success stories from this mentoring program include mentees receiving the Rufford Small Grant, completing graduate research theses, and publishing papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Mentees
Past Mentees Country Research Themes
Amanda Kgaogelo Maswanganye South Africa Entomology, molecular biology, and small mammals
Oladokun Yetunde Olasimbo Nigeria Agricultural economics
Jonas Kambale Nyumu Democratic Republic of Congo Bushmeat exploitation, small mammals, biodiversity conservation
Alain Senghor Ngute Cameroon Ornithology, biodiversity conservation
Kolawolé Salako Valére Benin Republic Conservation strategies, reserve designs, ecosystem restoration
David Amaning Kwarteng Ghana Conservation of amphibians and reptiles
Evariste Fongnzossie Fedoung Cameroon Botany, Forest ecology and management, conservation biology, ethnobotany, ecosystem services
Menladi M. Lormie Liberia Biomonitoring of wildlife populations
Matthew Varney Liberia  
Donatus W. Mbeng Cameroon Cameroon biodiversity conservation
Samuel Jatto Nigeria Forest Economics
Mphoeng Ofithile Bostwana Large mammals, ungulates
Peter Gayflor Mulbah Liberia Payments for ecosystem services, ecotourism
Rosemary Gbegbaje Nigeria Ecological niche modelling, climate change, urban ecology and behavioural ecology
Soazara Ranivoarivelo Madagascar Protection of reptiles and amphibians in Madagascar
Aghah Valery Binda Cameroon  
Anntoliah Chao Kenya  
David Ouma Kenya  
Irene Blondelle Cameroon  
Kenfack Melerine Mabelle Assouna Cameroon  
Emmanuel Akampurira Uganda  
Adedayo David Animasaun Nigeria  
Basem Rabia Egypt  
Anderson Showell Liberia  
Agnes Sirima Tanzania  
Bernard Mung’oma Kuloba Kenya  
Djomo N. Eric Cameroon  
Domoina J. Rakotoson Madagascar  
Eno Nku Manasseh Cameroon  
Etornyo Agbeko Ghana  
Fikirte Gebresenbet Erda Ethiopia  
Keziah Adhiambo Kenya  
Duncan Kimuyi Kenya  
Kwaku Aduse-Poku Ghana  
Martina Hagwet Tanzania  
Nandjui Awo Côte d’Ivoire  
Njoroge Ikonye Kenya  
Ndegwa Scolasticah Kenya  
Winfred Musila Kenya  
Mentors

Thank you to our mentors for your investment to capacity building in African biodiversity conservation!

Mentors Research Interest and Positions
Dr. John P. Simaika Stellenbosch University, South Africa: developing predictive tools for modelling the future development impacts on hydrological ecosystem service provision of coastal ecosystems; member, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Freshwater Conservation Specialist Group
Dr. Thomas Breuer Director of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo: behavioural ecology and conservation of large mammals, applied ecology and protected area management and conservation education
Dr. Yiwei Wang United States: human wildlife conflict, conservation biology, and environmental education
Dr. Devcharan Jathanna Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) in Bangalore, India: carnivore biology, species’ responses to human impacts, estimation of population and demographic parameters using capture recapture modelling, distance sampling, occupancy estimation and modelling, and statistical modelling for other ecological data
Dr. Mark Hulme Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Edinburgh, Scotland: monitoring birds and mammals in and around Gola Rainforest National Park, Sierra Leone, determining the impact of improvements in cocoa yield on biodiversity, habitat connectivity and the impact on crop raiding of cocoa, mainly by primates
Dr. Hannah Mumby University of Sheffield, United Kingdom: how huge mammals make evolutionary sense, and use this knowledge to inform conservation strategies
Dr. Jonathan Salerno United States: how and why rural people in tropics make livelihood decisions, as well as how biodiversity conservation strategies affect these decisions and household well-being
Dr. Lindsey Swierk Penn State University, United States: Behavioral ecologist with a research focus on the mating systems and reproductive biology of reptiles and amphibians
Dr. Malcolm Burgess Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), University of Exeter: Afro-Palaeartic migrant birds, breeding ecology, and demography and migratory behaviour
Dr. Isaac Busayo Oluwatayo University of Limpopo, South Africa: welfare analysis, poverty, inequality, food security, climate change, gender, environmental, and social protection issues
Dr. Caitlin Wells United States: behavior, genetics, and conservation of wild vertebrates
Dr. Stephanie Schuttler North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, United States: behavior, molecular, and movement ecology, especially applied research that impacts conservation
Dr. Toni Lyn Morelli Massachusetts, United States: ecology and genetics of lemurs in Madagascar, impacts of climate change on animal populations
Prof. H. Resit Akçakaya Stony Brook University, United Sates: developing and applying quantitative methods to address questions in conservation biology and environmental risk assessment
Dr. Margaret Awuor Owuor South Eastern Kenya University, Kenya
Dr. Israel Borokini University of California, Berkeley, United States: plant ecology and biogeography, spatial phylogenetics, conservation biology
Dr. Bernard Coetzee  
Dr. Lauren Redmore  
Dr. Lynne R. Baker  
Dr. Dennis Otieno Germany
Dr. Bernard Kirui  
Dr. Gilbert Adum  

The SCB Africa Region is grateful to Dr. Mary Molokwu who coordinated the e-mentoring programme for many years. We are also grateful to Dr. Benedictus Freeman who stepped in to coordinate the e-mentoring after Dr. Molokwu. Dr. Margaret Awuor Owuor and Badru Mugerwa’s efforts in managing the 5th e-mentoring phase is acknowledged.