ARLINGTON, VA (April 1, 2016) — The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced today that Dr. Hugh Possingham will join the organization as Chief Scientist. Possingham will lead the work of more than 600 scientists engaged in conservation efforts impacting 69 countries around the world.
“Science is at the core of our work,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “Throughout his career, Hugh has used science to elevate the impact and effectiveness of conservation programs. I am confident that he will build on The Nature Conservancy’s great history of science-based conservation and will help us achieve our ambitious goals.”
“It is a delight to be part of a global conservation organization with such a strong commitment to using evidence and data to solve environmental problems on the ground,” said Possingham. “Knowing that TNC has over 600 scientists among its 3,500 staff, working with thousands of partners to protect nature, is exciting and humbling.”
Possingham is currently an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and director of The Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science at the University of Queensland. He simultaneously serves as director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) and the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Threatened Species Recovery Hub.
A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, Possingham’s groundbreaking research has been published in such leading journals as Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). His team’s Marxan software drove Australia’s rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and is now used in more than 150 countries to change the face of about 5% of the planet’s surface.
As a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, and many other review committees and boards, Possingham has been a leading voice in providing independent advice to the Australian government and the public about environmental issues.
