Lilian Pintea

As vice president of conservation science at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Dr. Lilian Pintea directs the scientific department at the Institute and conducts applied conservation research. In order to analyze the spatial relationships between chimpanzees, forests and human land uses, Dr. Pintea integrates remote-sensing data with on-the-ground observations and surveys of chimpanzees and their habitats. He trains JGI staff and local communities in the use of these tools and collaborates with them and relevant government officials in the development and implementation of conservation action plans. Dr. Pintea and his team map historic changes in chimpanzee populations, distribution and habitat. They also use GIS, very high-resolution satellite imagery and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology to assist local communities in the development of land-use plans. These land-use plans enable communities to better manage their land so they can meet their daily needs for food and wood without destroying chimpanzee habitat. Dr. Pintea holds a Ph.D. in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota and a M.S. in zoology from Moscow State University, Russia. He is a former MacArthur Scholar of the MacArthur Interdisciplinary Program on Global Change, Sustainability, and Justice at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Pintea is also a former Fulbright Scholar in the use of remote sensing and GIS at the Center for Remote Sensing at the University of Delaware. Previously, he worked as an environmental consultant at the World Bank. With frequent trips to the field in Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Pintea lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

November 2013