Peter LEIMGRUBER

Dr. Leimgruber received his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma. He has over 20 years of experience in developing and administering international conservation, including projects and collaborations in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. At the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Dr. Leimgruber established a multidisciplinary research program in the application of GIS and remote sensing for the conservation of endangered species, including Asian elephant, Przewalski’s horse, tiger, and Mongolian gazelle. Dr. Leimgruber’s research programs have resulted in 116 authored and co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals. Since 2015, Dr. Leimgruber is heading the Conservation Ecology Center (CEC), a research group with an annual budget of nearly $3 million in grants and contracts. CEC researchers use basic and applied science to advance the conservation of species and ecosystems. Dr. Leimgruber and his team at CEC have spearheaded the Smithsonian’s internationally renowned training program in Conservation GIS, including graduate and undergraduate courses, workshops, and internship programs. In the last 10 years this program has included 4 postdocs, 7 graduate students, 93 interns, and over 700 short-term trainees. Dr. Leimgruber provides technical and scientific advice to broad range of organizations including the Scientific Advisory Board for Save the Elephants, the IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group, the AZA Elephant TAG.