Dr. Patricia Wright
Distinguished Professor
Anthropology and Ecology and Evolution Departments
SBU Herrnstein Famil Chair in Conservation Biology
Stony Brook University
Dr. Wright is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments and Centre ValBio, the world-class research campus near Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar. She received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York and was Assistant Professor at Duke University. Her work as a tropical biologist, conservationist, and primatologist led to the discovery of a new species of lemur, the Golden Bamboo Lemur, the establishment of Ranomafana National Park, and the publication of over 150 articles and books. Dr. Wright’s work with lemurs in Ranomafana was featured in the films Island of Lemurs: Madagascar and Me and Isaac Newton. She has received many honors for her contributions to lemur conservation including the three medals of honor from the Malagasy government, and the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for Animal Conservation.