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Lead Scientist
M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.
In addition to being the Conservancy’s lead scientist, Sanjayan holds a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a research faculty appointment with the Wildlife Program at the University of Montana.
Read Sanjayan's Full Biography
Sanjayan stops by CBS Early Show to revisit the topic of 2011's wacky weather. Watch at CBSNews.com
Sanjayan chats with CBS Early Show about why this year's weather has been so unpredictable. Watch at CBSNews.com
Sanjayan tells NBC Nightly News' Anne Thompson about the environmental impacts of a growing world population. Watch at MSNBC.com
Sanjayan inspires Nature Conservancy staff at the 2011 Global Marketing Conference in Atlanta, GA. Watch the video
Sanjayan speaks about market-based water protection plans. Watch the video of Sanjayan at the Clinton Global Initiative.
Sanjayan discusses global climate change and the future of the planet with David Letterman. Watch Sanjayan on the David Letterman Show.
Sanjayan tells the TODAY Show’s Meredith Viera about a program to save Africa’s northern white rhino from extinction. See Sanjayan on the TODAY show.
Sanjayan, M.A.. "Poverty and Ecosystem Services." (essay) In, The Atlas of Global Conservation: changes, challenges, and opportunities to make a difference, J. Molnar, editor. University of California Press; 2010.
Brodie, J.; Sanjayan, M.; Corea, R.; Helmy, O.; Amarasiri, C. Effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on Sea Turtle Populations in Sri Lanka. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 7(2): 249-251; 2008.
Sanjayan, M.A. "Does a slowing economy mean more conservation? Not necessarily…." Anderson Cooper CNN. 11 Dec. 2008.
Sanjayan, M.A. “Commentary: What unites James Bond and dead monkeys.” Planet in Peril CNN. 8 Dec. 2008.
Kauffman, M.J.; Sanjayan, M.; Lowenstein, J.; Nelson, A.; Jeo, R.M.; Crooks, K.R. Remote camera-trap methods and analyses reveal impacts of rangeland management on Namibian carnivore communities. Oryx 41(1): 70-78; 2007
Crooks, K.; Sanjayan, M., editors. Connectivity Conservation. Cambridge University Press; 2006.
Balmford, A.; Bennun, L.; ten Brink, B.; Cooper, D.; Côte, I.M.; Crane, P.; Dobson, A.; Dudley, N.; Dutton, I.; Green, R.E.; Gregory, R.D.; Harrison, J.; Kennedy, E.T.; Kremen, C.; Leader-Williams, N.; Lovejoy, T.E.; Mace, G.; May, R.; Mayaux, P.; Morling, P.; Phillips, J.; Redford, K.; Ricketts, T.H.; Rodríguez, J.P.;Sanjayan, M.; Schei, P.J.; van Jaarsveld, A.S.; Walther, B.A. The Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 Target. Science 307: 212-213; 2005.
Redford, K.; Sanjayan, M.A. Retiring Cassandra. Conservation Biology 17(6): 1473-1474; 2003.
Sanjayan, M. A.; Crooks, K.R. Missing Linkages: Reconnecting a Fragmented Landscape. In, Nature in Fragments, Columbia University Press; 2002
Sanjayan, M.A.; Jeo, R.; Sizemore, D. A Conservation Area Design for the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Round River Conservation Studies, Salt Lake City, 1999.
Crooks, K.R.; Sanjayan, M.A.; Doak, D.F. New insights on cheetah conservation through demographic modeling. Conservation Biology 12 (4): 889-895; 1998.
Soulé, M.E.; Sanjayan, M.A. Conservation Targets: Do They Help? Science 279: 2060-2061; 1998.
Sanjayan, M.A.; Shen, S.; Jansen, M. Experience with Integrated-Conservation Development Projects in Asia. World Bank Technical Paper 388:1-41; 1997.
Sanjayan, M.A.; Soulé, M.E. "Moving Beyond Brundtland: The Conservation Value of British Columbia's 12 Percent Protected Area Strategy." Greenpeace; 1997.
Sanjayan, M.A.; Crooks, K.R. Skin grafts and cheetahs. Nature 381: 566-566; 1996.
Sanjayan, M. A.; Crooks, K.R.; Zegers, G.; et al. Genetic variation and the immune response in natural populations of pocket gophers. Conservation Biology 10(6): 1519-1527; 1996.
Kremen, C.; Colwell, R.K.; Erwin, T. L.; Noss, R.; Sanjayan, M. Terrestrial arthropod assemblages: Their use in conservation planning. Conservation Biology 7(4): 796-808; 1993.
Lead Scientist
M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology, and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.
Lead Scientist
M. Sanjayan is the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he specializes in human well-being and conservation, Africa, wildlife ecology, and media outreach and public speaking on conservation issues.
Sanjayan's scientific work has been published in journals including Science, Nature, and Conservation Biology, and he co-edited the book Connectivity Conservation (Cambridge University Press, 2006). He frequently speaks at internationally recognized venues, including the World Forum on Sustainable Development, International Women’s Forum, and TED Global 2010. He is a Catto Fellow with the Aspen Institute.
Sanjayan’s work has received extensive print media coverage — from Vanity Fair to National Geographic Adventure, Outside to The New York Times. In 2007, he was named and featured as one of Men’s Journal's “Heroes of 2007.” He is a frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show and has appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”
He has also co-hosted documentaries for the Discovery Channel (Mysteries of the Shark Coast, Expedition Alaska), BBC (Wildlife in a War-Zone), and featured in National Geographic TV (Earth Report 2009). His newest effort, hosting a four-part series on energy for Discovery Channel (Powering the Future) is scheduled to air July 2010.
When not at work, Sanjayan can be found either trekking in Africa or fly-fishing in Western Montana, where he tries to live.
Awards: Catto Fellow, Aspen Institute; Past Elected Governor Society for Conservation Biology
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M. Sanjayan
E-mail: msanjayan@tnc.org
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