Empowering the next generation of conservation heroes.
WCN Scholarship Program
The WCN Scholarship program was founded in 2006 to discover and nurture emerging young conservationists so they can one day take up the fight for wildlife.
WCN scholars are the future of conservation. These students from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America are committed to working on wildlife conservation in their home countries. They are forward thinkers and out-of-the-box problem solvers, able to navigate the labyrinth of challenges they face protecting endangered wildlife with courage, optimism, stamina, and a nimbleness to adapt to constantly fluctuating political and cultural landscapes—always keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
If you are an interested applicant, please email scholarship@wildnet.org for more information. Note that you must be nominated by a pre-approved/eligible nominator. The call for nominations will open in October of each year, and it will NOT be listed publicly.
Impact by the numbers
114
graduate level scholarships provided to incredible young women and men across 37 countries since the program's inception
12
scholars awarded scholarships in 2019 to pursue their education
Meet Our 2019 Scholars
Peter Abanyam
Gorilla, slender-snouted crocodile, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, and elephantPeter Abanyam
Peter Abanayam of Nigeria, nominated by Andrew Dunn, Country Director for WCS Nigeria. Peter’s current master’s work focuses on incorporating the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) into the Greater Gola Landscape Strategy in Sierra Leone. He plans to use the skills developed through his MPhil in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge to help protect Cross River gorillas, slender-snouted crocodiles, Preuss’ red colobus monkeys, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, and forest elephants back home in Nigeria once he completes his degree, focusing on engaging local residents in community-based conservation initiatives.
He is a recipient of the Sydney Byers Scholarship for his work with cross river gorillas, slender-snouted crocodiles, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, and elephants.
Location: Nigeria
University: University of Cambridge
Muktar Abute
Ethiopian wolfMuktar Abute
Muktar Abute of Ethiopia, nominated by Dr. Jorgelina Marino of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme. Muktar is one of the two recipients of the veterinary-track scholarship. He is currently the EWCP Veterinary Team Leader, in charge of planning domestic dog annual vaccines and leading reactive wolf vaccination interventions. He will be pursuing an MSc at Addis Ababa University in Veterinary Microbiology, focusing on deepening his knowledge of virus transmission and the safe handling of pathogens in order to be able to better treat Ethiopian wolves and better respond to the threats of rabies and canine distemper.
He is a recipient of the WCN Veterinary-track scholarship.
Location: Ethiopia
University: Addis Ababa University in Veterinary Microbiology
Damber Bista
Red pandaDamber Bista
Damber Bista of Nepal, nominated by Brian Williams of the Red Panda Network (WCN affiliate). Damber is currently working on his PhD at the University of Queensland, focusing on the ecology and conservation of red pandas in human-dominated landscapes in Nepal. The overall aim of his work is to improve understanding on how red pandas interact in human-dominated landscapes and assess their population viability in fragmented landscapes in Nepal. He plans to return to working at the Red Panda Network following the completion of his degree to focus on expanding community-based conservation initiatives to other countries in the red panda’s range – not only Nepal, but also Bhutan, India, and Myanmar.
He is a recipient of the Handsel Scholarship for his work with red pandas.
Location: Nepal
University: University of Queensland
Learn more about Damber’s work here.
Melissa Micaela Arias Goetschel
JaguarMelissa Micaela Arias Goetschel
Melissa Micaela Arias Goetschel of Ecuador (the first WCN Scholar from Ecuador), nominated by Dr. E.J. Milner Guilland of the Saiga Conservation Alliance. Melissa is currently working on her PhD at the University of Oxford, studying illegal wildlife trade in Latin America and focusing on the jaguar, a species that was heavily hunted for its fur in the first three-quarters of the 20th century, until CITES listed it in 1975. Four decades later, the trade is resurging with a market for jaguar body parts. Melissa’s PhD work aims to improve the knowledge on the characteristics, drivers, and potential impacts of the jaguar trade in Latin America, and to support decision-making to conserve jaguars going forward and bridge the research-implementation gap.
She is a recipient of the Pat J. Miller Scholarship for her work with jaguars.
Location: Ecuador
University: University of Oxford
Learn more about Melissa’s work here.
Juan Carlos Huaranca
Andean cat and Pampas catJuan Carlos Huaranca
Juan Carlos Huaranca of Bolivia, nominated by Andrés J. Novaro (Whitley Award winner and WCS Argentina Senior Conservation Fellow). Juan Carlos is also a member of the Andean Cat Alliance – his nomination was fully supported by AGA as well. He is pursuing his PhD through Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile, and his work focuses on evaluating the negative direct and indirect effects of camelid livestock grazing and associated human activities on the use of habits by the Andean cat and Pampas cat in the altiplano of the central Andes in Bolivia. After his PhD, he plans to develop a field conservation program for wildlife of the Bolivian highlands, focusing both on further research into threats and the implementation of practical solutions to help rural people coexist with wildlife.
He is a recipient of the Handsel Scholarship for his work with the Andean cat and Pampas cat.
Location: Bolivia
University: Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile
Teddy Mulenga Mukula
CheetahTeddy Mulenga Mukula
Teddy Mulenga Mukula of Zambia, nominated by Dr. Matthew S. Becker of the Zambia Carnivore Program (WCN affiliate). Teddy will be pursuing an MSc at Montana State University looking at the dynamics of and anthropogenic threats to a threatened cheetah population in the Greater Liuwa area of western Zambia – a trans-frontier ecosystem, where the country’s second-largest cheetah populations resides.
He is a recipient of the Handsel Scholarship for his work with cheetahs.
Location: Zambia
University: Montana State University
Thomas Mutonhori
Painted dogThomas Mutonhori
Thomas Mutonhori of Zimbabwe, nominated by Dr. Esther van der Meet and Peter Blinston of Painted Dog Conservation. Thomas will be pursuing an MPhil at the National University of Science and Technology (in Zimbabwe). He will be looking at human attitudes towards painted dogs and the potential for human-painted dog conflict surrounding the Mid-Zambezi protected areas – an area to which PDC has recently expanded their work – with the goal of significantly reducing carnivore mortality. Thomas is a former ranger with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority who became involved with PDC and is now committed to their approach to conservation – he aims to continue working as a conservation researcher and to help in formulating community-based conservation programs for the Mid-Zambezi area.
He is a recipient of the Sydney Byers Scholarship for his work with painted dogs.
Location: Zimbabwe
University: National University of Science and Technology
Learn more about Thomas’ work here.
Minh Nguyen
Large-antlered muntjacMinh Nguyen
Minh Nguyen of Vietnam, nominated by William Robichaud of the Saola Working Group (WCN Guest Speaker). Minh will be pursuing a PhD at the University of Florida, focusing on using behavioral movement data of the critically endangered large-antlered muntjac to improve conservation outcomes in southeast Asian protected areas while integrating the needs of local communities. Her goal is to develop and research community-based approaches to conservation and integrate these into protected area management plans. She is one of only a handful of women in Vietnam committed to working in conservation.
She is a recipient of the Sydney Byers Scholarship for her work with the large-antlered muntjac.
Location: Vietnam
University: University of Florida
Learn more about Minh’s work here.
Jean Ferus Niyomwungeri
Grey crowned craneJean Ferus Niyomwungeri
Jean Ferus Niyomwungeri of Rwanda, nominated by Dr. Olivier Nsengimana of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (WCN Guest Speaker). Jean Ferus will be pursuing an MSc at the University of Rwanda. He plans to focus on monitoring the movement of the endangered grey crowned cranes within Rwanda and across borders and using this information to design better conservation strategies and actions to protect them. His longer term goal is to expand community-based conservation, focusing on how communities can benefit from ecosystem services, and to eventually succeed in getting the grey crowned crane removed from the endangered species list.
He is a recipient of the Sydney Byers Scholarship for his work with grey crowned cranes.
Location: Rwanda
University: University of Rwanda
Carmen Julia Quiroga Pacheco
Andean bear, puma, and jaguarCarmen Julia Quiroga Pacheco
Carmen Julia Quiroga Pacheco of Bolivia, nominated by Dr. Ximena Velez-Liendo (Whitley Award winner, currently with WildCRU Oxford). Julia is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Southeastern Norway, focusing her work on understanding the mechanisms of co-existence between Andean bears, pumas, and jaguars in the dry forests of the Boliviano-Tucumano ecoregion of Bolivia and using the information gathered to drive the development of effective community-based solutions for conservation.
She is a recipient of the Steven K. Beckendorf Scholarship for her work with Andean bears, pumas, and jaguars.
Location: Bolivia
University: University of Southeastern Norway
Learn more about Carmen’s work here.
Shashank Poudel
LeopardShashank Poudel
Shashank Poudel of Nepal, nominated by Dr. Martin Gilbert of Cornell University. Shashank will be pursuing a PhD in Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources, focusing on human-leopard conflict in Nepal. Currently, human-leopard conflict has led to extensive persecution of leopards in Nepal, and stringent efforts to curtail tiger poaching have made leopards more vulnerable from the perspective of illegal wildlife trade. He aims to focus his career on designing and implementing community-based interventions to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the South Asian context, with a particular emphasis on developing a citizen science network across different landscapes in Nepal to monitor human-big cat conflict.
He is a recipient of the Pat J. Miller Scholarship for his work with leopards.
Location: Nepal
University: Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources
James Watuwa
African elephantJames Watuwa
James Watuwa of Uganda, nominated by Dr. Simon T. Nampindo, Country Director for WCS Uganda. James is the second recipient of the veterinary-track scholarship this year. He is pursuing an MSc in Wildlife Health & Management (Wildlife Clinical Medicine track) at Makerere University Kampala, with a focus on looking at how oil exploration activities impact the parasite burden and stress levels of elephants in a fragmented vs. a continuous habitat (Murchison Falls Conservation Area vs. Queen Elizabeth National Park). With this degree, he aims to work in the greater east African region, where there are few wildlife veterinarians, offering care to elephants, lions, and other wildlife, including de-snaring activities, in Murchison Falls National Park, as well as helping to implement human-carnivore conflict mitigation around Queen Elizabeth National Park by leading the wildlife veterinary health component of the program.
He is a recipient of the WCN Veterinary-track scholarship.
Location: Uganda
University: Makerere University Kampala
Meet Scholars From Previous Years
These former scholarship recipients are now protecting wildlife throughout the world.
Past Scholars
one year later
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar Juan Carlos Huaranca
Juan Carlos Huaranca hears the clatter of rocks slipping beneath his hiking boots as he ascends the Bolivian Andes in... Learn More
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar Thomas Mutonhori
As the light of the sun dwindles and the sky saturates to a celestial blue, a Zimbabwean conservationist catches sight... Learn More
MEET 2019 WCN SCHOLAR Melissa Micaela Arias Goetschel
Deep in the Bolivian Amazon, far from the nearest village, a small house rests at the edge of the lush... Learn More
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar Muktar Abute
In Ethiopia’s rugged, wind-swept Bale Mountains, a rust-colored wolf cautiously approaches a chunk of fresh goat meat lying on the... Learn More
MEET 2019 WCN SCHOLAR Shashank Poudel
Learn More
MEET 2019 WCN SCHOLAR Teddy Mukula
WCN 2019 scholarship recipient and field biologist/ecologist Teddy Mukula kneels in the swaying golden grasses of Liuwa Plain National Park,... Learn More
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar Damber Bista
A red panda streaks through a rural village in the Himalayan foothills of Eastern Nepal, a pack of stray dogs... Learn More
One Year Later: African Marine Mammal Conservation
It’s not easy to work on your PhD and run a conservation organization at the same time. However, for Aristide... Learn More
One Year Later: The Dhole Project
Can you think back to an old class from high school or college, when at the time you were daydreaming,... Learn More
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar James Watuwa
In Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, wildlife veterinarian and WCN 2019 scholarship recipient James Watuwa works quickly to free a... Learn More
Meet 2019 WCN Scholar Jean Ferus Niyomwungeri
In Rwanda’s wetlands, the cries of water birds fill the air as Community Conservation Officer for Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association... Learn More
Today's Scholars, Tomorrow's Wildlife Heroes
As the grandson of a former hunter, Peter Abanyam knows how hunters think and work, and he uses this insider... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Saloni Bhatia
Nestled up in the snow-covered Himalayas, villagers from an isolated mountain village remain on high alert. Earlier that morning, a... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Giridhar Malla
Moonlight shimmers on the Godavari River, a sacred river of central and southeastern India, where a fishing cat crouches, motionless,... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Lucero Maria Del Carmen Vaca Leon
Deep in the jungle, the cry of howler monkeys echoes through the ruins of a Mayan pyramid. Dazzling, multi-hued butterflies... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Monsoon Khatiwada
High up in the misty mountains of Nepal, where Monsoon Khatiwada works as a wildlife conservationist, there lives a foxlike... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Phale Max Seele
Lithe and strikingly beautiful, with intense amber eyes and a graceful gait, the cheetah is world-renowned for being the fastest... Learn More
Supporting a New Generation of Wildlife Champions
An Nguyen has never seen a tiger, a leopard, or a rhino. Though much of the forests in his home... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Francy Forero
A short drive from the bustling city of Barranquilla, in northern Colombia, lies the Ceibal National forest. Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Henry Mwape
Steam rises from the ground outside the Mfuwe Day Secondary School. The air is thick with humidity and heat from... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar Marina Rivero
The lake, a murky green mirror crowned by thick foliage, large boulders, and sky high trees that blotted out the... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar: Arthur Bienvenu Muneza
Although, originally from Rwanda (also known as Land of a Thousand Hills for its endless and stunning mountains), Arthur spent his... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar: An Nguyen
The sun is at its zenith. Clouds of mosquitoes hover around An Nguyen’s head, but none of that distracts him... Learn More
Meet 2018 WCN Scholar: Agostinho Aquelino Jorge
Respect for nature runs deep in Agostinho’s family. As a boy growing up in Tete Province in central Mozambique, Agostinho... Learn More
Investing in the Future: The WCN Scholarship Program
The WCN Scholarship Program was founded ten years ago to mitigate the growing threats against our most imperiled species worldwide. We... Learn More
Empowering Future Conservation Heroes
Protecting endangered wildlife requires a special kind of hero; one who can navigate the labyrinth of challenges wildlife face with... Learn More
2015 WCN Scholarship Winners
The WCN Scholarship Program invests in the next generation of conservation leaders by providing grants for graduate education to students... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Anya Ratnayaka
Anya's journey to protecting and conserving fishing cats was anything but linear. She worked with a wide range of species before she began... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Aristide Kamla
Many people are familiar with the plight of the Florida manatee, but Aristide Kamla has dedicated his life to the study... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Joseph Letoole
Interactions with wildlife were a daily part of Joseph's life growing up in the Westgate Community Conservancy in Kenya—one of the first communities to organize... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Krystelle Lavaki Danford
Krystelle Lavaki Danford’s interest in wildlife conservation began at a young age. When she was just five years old, her father gifted... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Martial Kiki
Martial Kiki was always fond of wildlife and nature, but a field trip to a nature park in Martial's home country of... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Alejandra
Alejandra Rocio Torrez Traqui’s interest in Andean wildlife started during her years as an undergraduate, studying the endangered Polylepsis tree... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Rabin Kadariya
Rabin Kadariya started his career as a conservation officer in 2009 at the National Trust for Nature Conservation in Bardia... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Suraj Upadhaya
Having grown up in rural Nepal, surrounded by mountains and forests, Suraj felt a special bond with nature at a very young age. This led... Learn More
2017 WCN Scholar: Thaís Queiroz Morcatty
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Meet WCN Scholar Deo
It was Deo Kukirawinja’s grandfather who taught him to appreciate wildlife as a child. Deo grew up in a village... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Anita
Anita Bousa has already broken new ground by being one of the few women in Laos to work in the... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Ana Francis Aurich
Growing up in rural Peru left Ana with very few academic opportunities. That soon changed when the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society (SBC)... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Nadia Mijiddorj
Having grown up in the rugged landscape of Mongolia, in a village located near the Great Gobi National Park, and coming from a... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Jaffar
Jaffar Ud Din grew up in a pastoral village in the mountain of Pakistan, surrounded by stories of fearsome snow... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Justin Chambulila
Like most native Tanzanians, Justin grew up having a special reverence for the scores of animals that lived in the savannahs and... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Lara
Lara Heidel’s childhood home was in a small mountain town in Patagonia, where people and wildlife were in frequent contact.... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Pooja Choksi
Pooja’s love for the outdoors began with her mother. Her childhood holidays involved the two of them going on camping trips to... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Rafael Morais Chiaravalloti
Growing up in the city of San Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil, provided Rafael with few opportunities to interact directly... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Sabita Malla
Sabita grew up in a remote, rural region of western Nepal, in the Baglung district. Even as a child, she... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Tutilo Mudumba
When Tutilo left his home village in rural Uganda to attend school in the capital of Kampala, he joined a... Learn More
Meet WCN Scholar Sonam Tashi Lama
As a child, Sonam had to walk miles to simply reach his local school. Hailing from a remote village in Eastern Nepal... Learn More
Photography credits: Damber Bista, Will Burrard-Lucas, Martin Harvey, Sebastian Kennerknecht, Lucero Maria del Carmen Vaca Leon, Henry Mwape, Jon McCormack, Susan McConnell, Shashank Poudel, Spectacled Bear Conservation, Tom Stahl