Tigers United

2020 Annual Report

20annualreport.indd 1 6/9/2020 1:30:23 PM Dear Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Missouri Tigers, and tiger supporters around the globe:

Each year about this time, I always enjoy looking back over the past 12 months and assessing what we have accomplished, then laying out a plan of things that we need to accomplish over the next year. I am always happy to share with you the progress we have made over the year toward helping save our mascot.

The 2019-2020 academic year began with a flurry during football season, andTigers United was acknowledged at home games on our campuses. One cause for celebration this year was the fact that our Ph.D. program for Indian forest service officials is now moving ahead, with all campuses now have one or more students enrolled. Two of these students are finishing their second year, while all others are completing their first.

The fall semester ended with two of our schools competing for the national championship in football. As part of that celebration, we partnered with Discovery, Inc. to raise awareness of tiger conservation among the fans by handing out 1,000 stuffed baby tigers in New Orleans during national championship week. ESPN and many local television stations produced stories about the two schools competing on the field but collaborating to save their mascot.

In the spring, our staff developed an elementary education program designed to teach young students about tiger conservation. It was developed to be an online resource for teachers interested in using tigers to teach science, geography or social studies. We are field testing the program with schools associated with Clemson, with the hope of expanding its rollout to schools in each region surrounding all four universities in the future.

However, the spring also brought the Covid-19 crisis and quarantines, and the phenomenon surrounding Netflix’s docuseries, The Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. The latter raised our collective consciousness about the plight of captive tigers in the United States and the damage done when captive tigers are bred for cub-petting enterprises. Several of our faculty addressed the concern with local news organizations.

As we approach the coming academic year, it is my hope that this annual report finds you healthy and safe and that soon, we can greet you personally with a hardy – Go/Geaux Tigers!!!!!

Respectfully,

Brett

20annualreport.indd 2 6/9/2020 1:30:24 PM Team Up for Tigers launches

We were pleased to launch our Team Up for Tigers program on tiger conservation earlier this year. As a Consortium of four land-grant universities, we believe in the importance of educating the American people about the plight of wild tigers – our beloved mascot. Since this is our mascot, we feel an obligation to help in the Global Tiger Recovery Program, in any way we can.

Therefore, our efforts will happen in tiger-range countries, and they will happen here in the United States. One of the critical things we can do here at home is to educate our citizens about the tragic declines in the number of tigers remaining in the wild. Today, there are fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild and estimated 6,000 tigers in captivity in the United States. Less than 500 of captives tigers are in accredited zoos.

One of the best places to start is with our elementary school students. We have designed this program so that teachers can flexibly change out components such as activities, or videos, depending on students’ needs. The Resource Guide provides weblinks that take educators easily to websites containing videos, maps and other educational materials. We hope this program on the world’s largest cat is both informative and engaging for all students. The complete program, a certificate of completion and feedback form are all located on our website.

This program is tailored to the needs of elementary-aged children -- from kindergarten to fifth grade. The resources found within focuses on tiger conservation in the 13 tiger-range countries. It is designed to teach children about a) the current status of the wild tigers b) the culture and the people of a particular tiger range country c) threats to the tiger population d) Tigers United and our tiger conservation work and e) how everyone can help save wild tigers. We invite educators and parents to introduce the program to students through a science class, after-school program or from home. There are five lessons outlined in each module to provide educators with learning for each weekday.

The Resource Guide is a foundation on which to build and incorporate assignments and activities that align with each state’s core curriculum requirements. For example, educators can build vocabulary words appropriate for their grade level that focus on tigers and conservation. Older students can calculate the percentage of habitat lost or the ratio of tigers to people within a country. Teachers can build writing assignments on tigers into the language arts lessons. Building a tiger model with recycled materials can serve as both an art and science lesson. We want to provide a framework for educators and offer a program that is flexible so teachers can adapt it to their classroom and pull activities from any of the lessons or Resource Guide. After this pilot year, Tigers United looks forward to expanding the program to the other three states.

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20annualreport.indd 3 6/9/2020 1:30:24 PM the Year in Review

Tigers United Week: September 2019 kicked started the year for Tigers United with a full week of celebrations and events at Clemson University. Tigers United Week was a fun-filled, educational week for our partners and supporters. The week began with an Academic Summit with members of Tigers United from each of the four universities. During the academic summit, our partners discussed ways to expand our existing programs and projects and interesting new initiatives. Friends and community members then joined us for the showing of “Siberian Tiger Quest,” where they were greeted by the Clemson Cub. Everyone enjoyed having photos (l to r): Clemon University Interim Dean Tim snapped with The Cub before the movie. Boosinger, Auburn University Dean Janaki Ala- The week culminated with the Tigers United sponsor tent valapati, Tigers United Director Brett Wright, prior to the Texas A&M game, where guests visited with our University of Missouri Dean Carolyn Long, leadership; learned more about the plight of the wild tiger Louisiana State University Professor Sabrina and received fun swag for their financial support. We were Taylor, University of Missouri Professor Shibu honored to have a special visit from Clemson University’s Jose, CEO of the Global Tiger Initiative Kes- First Lady Beth Clements and Grace Clements before the hav Varma, Global Tiger Forum Head of Pro- Clemson-Texas A&M game. Mrs. Clements congratulated gramme and Partnerships Mohnish Kapoor the graphic communications students who created our “We Are All Tigers” video that aired on the jumbotron following the first quarter. What a thrill to see the video on the big screen! It was a wonderful week that brought a lot of awareness to tiger conservation and the plight of the wild tiger. The designated Tigers United Week raised awareness, but our work continued throughout the year with campaigns, events and presentations around the community. Global Tiger Recovery Program seminar: Clemson Consortium members initiated a seminar on the Global Tiger Recovery Program in March. The Global Tiger Recovery Program seeks to empower tiger range countries to address the entire spectrum of threats, domestic as well as those that are transboundary in nature, and work toward increased financial sustainability through the integration of conservation objectives into development. Dr. Rajesh Gopal, head of the Global Tiger Forum, and Mohnish Kapoor, head of programme and partnerships for Global Tiger Forum, met virtually with Tigers United in March. Gopal shared insights on the current status of the tiger in Southeast Asia and discussed how Clemson University professors and Ph.D. students can work to provide the best research and conservation methods to those working on the front lines. The Global Tiger Forum is a key player in the Global Tiger Recovery Program.

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Trademark: The staff of Tigers United worked collaboratively with the University’s Office of Creative Services to develop a trademark for the Consortium. University staff conducted extensive searches for other potentially conflicting trademarks and found none. The result was the development of the trademark to the right.

It is interesting to note that the colors used in the design are symbolically important, as each of the various shades of gold and orange are specifically tied to each university. The trademark features two shades of gold (representing LSU and Missouri) and two shades of orange (representing Auburn and Clemson).

In June, Clemson University, on behalf of the Consortium, filed to register the TIGERS UNITED mark on the Principal Register of the US Trademark Office.

Community Outreach Winter 2020 was a busy season for Tigers United with several presentations to organizations throughout the Clemson community. Dr. Brett Wright shared the mission and vision of Tigers United, statistics on the plight of wild tigers and encouraged community members to support our work. Wright presented to the Rotary Club of Clemson, the Rotary Club of Clemson-Calhoun Rotary Club and the Clemson Fellowship Club. Members received the Tigers United 2019 annual report and Tigers United swag, such as car decals, stickers, fans and lapel pins. Aamir Simms with Tiger Cub In addition to these community events, Tigers United was featured during the Clemson University home basketball game on January 21. Clemson defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons by with buzzer beater to win the game 71-68 that evening. Tigers United also celebrated a win that evening. Clemson fans learned about the declining wild tiger population, part of the Consortium’s efforts at increasing awareness of this disturbing trend. Fans received a miniature stuffed tiger for their financial support ofTigers United. We were delighted to have the support of Clemson star basketball player Aamir Simms, who worked with Tigers United during Tigers United Week in the fall 2019, and will return to Clemson for the 2020-2021 season.

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20annualreport.indd 5 6/9/2020 1:30:25 PM the Year in Review

International message: In January, Tigers United partnered with the Office of Global Engagement to share the message of tiger conservation with Clemson University’s international students from tiger range countries. Students learned about Tigers United’s mission to increase the wild tiger population and reasons why the wild tiger population is threatened. Students were encouraged to join a social media campaign throughout January to share their personal messages of tiger conservation using the hashtags #speakforthetiger #tigersunited and #tigertribe. The social media messages were targeted to governments, NGOs and influencers within each of the tiger range countries along with media outlets that cover environmental issues. Students were asked to tag accounts such as, @usatoday @timesofindia and @nytimes.

Videos & Media Coverage:

Sydney Thompson, Megan Smith, Alyssa Pittman created a 30-second video for Tigers United in their graphic communications course with Dr. Erica Walker. The passionate video, “We Are All Tigers” won national attention and local accolades. The video debuted during the Clemson-Texas A&M football game in September and was featured in the Wildlife Conservation session of short films at the Reedy Reels Film Festival on November 2.

“We Are All Tigers” is a short film created on behalf of the Tigers United University by Graphic Communications students at Clemson University. This film stresses the importance of wildlife conservation for Tigers in the wild, emphasizes the need for support for these endangered animals, and provides information on how anyone can become involved with the initiative. The goal of this film is to convey that people should care just as much about wild tigers as they care about their tiger mascots. “We say go tigers every day, what do we say when they’re gone?” (l to r): Grace Clements, Clemson University First Lady Beth Clements, Graphic Commu- The video gained national attention when it was featured nications students Sydney Thompson, Megan in an ESPN pre-game video leading up to the College Smith and Alyssa Pittma. The Clements con- Football Playoff National Championship game. Fans were gratulated the Graphic Communications stu- treated to clips from the video and learned about Tigers dents prior to the Texas A&M game. United and our mission. You can view this and other videos at on our YouTube channel.

Tigers United also made the red carpet in September when a second video highlighting Tigers United was among 16 videos featured at the Campus Movie Fest. McKenzie Vandenbrekel won the Tigers United tiger conservation category with her entry, “Roar for Change.”

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20annualreport.indd 6 6/9/2020 1:30:26 PM the Year in Review The short film addressed tiger conservation emphasizing its importance to the Clemson community and to the world. The film promoted awareness for the tiger’s endangered status in the wild and described some of the ways people can help save the species from extinction.

In addition to these two videos, a longer format video debuted prior to the national championship game. This video was produced using video footage gathered during Tigers United’s February 2019 visit to India. Tigers United met with officials from the Global Tiger Forum and toured Kahna Tiger Reserve, a prominent tiger reserve that sets best practices for tiger conservation. You can also view this video on our YouTube channel.

The 2019-2020 academic year was a big year for media coverage. The College Football Playoff National Championship game set the stage to feature Tigers United as both Clemson University and Louisiana State University highlighted ways the schools collaborate. Tigers United was featured in both local and national media outlets, including: The Chronical of Higher Education, ESPN, WYFF Channel 4 in Greenville, S.C., The Greenville News, WRBZ Channel 2 in Baton Rouge, La. and Discovery.

Thank you to our supporters! Thank you to all the people who supported us this past year. (above left) Erica Walker, Graphic Communications faculty, and her husband, Joel Walker, celebrate with Director Wright before the Texas A&M game. We are grateful for the dedication and loyalty from our youngest supporter, Haley Plumley, our junior ambassador, and to Clemson University Board of Trustee member Patti McAbee, First Lady Beth Clements and Grace Clements.

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20annualreport.indd 7 6/9/2020 1:30:27 PM Research Corner Tiger population survival threatened by mass road building in habitats Roads are proliferating worldwide at an unprecedented rate, with potentially severe impacts on wildlife. We calculated the extent and potential impacts of road networks across the 1,160,000-km2, 13-country range of the globally endangered tiger (Panthera tigris)—a conservation umbrella species. We found that roads were pervasive, totaling 134,000 km across tiger conservation landscapes (TCLs), even in tiger priority sites and protected areas. Approximately 43% of the area where tiger breeding occurs and 57% of the area in TCLs fell within the road-effect zone. Consequently, current road networks may be decreasing tiger and prey abundances by more than 20%. Nearly 24,000 km of new roads will be built in TCLs by 2050, stimulated through major investment projects such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Given that roads will be a pervasive challenge to tiger recovery in the future, the researchers urged decision-makers to make sustainable road development a top priority. This abstract is reprinted with permission. To view the entire study, titled “Road Development in Asia: Assessing the wide range of risks to tigers,” visit https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/18/eaaz9619 Credit: Road development in Asia: Assessing the range-wide risks to tigers, Carter et al. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/18/eaaz9619 Schwehr Family Global Service Learning grant funds conservation, women empowerment Saving tigers is a complex problem to solve. Conservation is a multi-layered issue that requires expertise from multiple disciplines, like biology, sociology, economics, wildlife management and political science. Any plan to save tigers must address each of these factors. There is no “one and done” solution, which is why we, at Tigers United, are thrilled to be part of a Schwehr Family Global Service-Learning Endowment focused on sustainable development, women’s economic empowerment, social entrepreneurship, and conservation in India. Tigers United is participating in one of Clemson’s new Schwehr Global-Service Learning Platforms in India. Clemson faculty from three different colleges are developing a regional hub for student programming, service and research activities, according to Kyle Anderson, Senior Director of Global Engagement at Clemson University. “Tigers United is a key constituent in providing sustainable and ethical activities focused on natural systems conservation in the north and central regions of the subcontinent,” Anderson said. “We’re blessed to be able to help others in the Clemson family participate in missions at locations of need

20annualreport.indd 8 6/9/2020 1:30:27 PM Research Corner around the world,” said Michael Schwehr. A $500,000 gift was made by Schwehr family members Michael William ’81, Linda Pogue, Laurel Michelle and Victoria Leigh ’16 in 2019. This gift funded the Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Annual and Schwehr Family Global Service Learning Endowment. The annual gift is what supported the grant that includes Tigers United. Michael W. Schwehr graduated from Clemson with a degree in mechanical engineering. After Clemson, he went to ExxonMobil, where his career spanned more than 35 years. During his time there he served in various assignments, including refining, products supply, retail marketing, environmental remediation and real estate. He traveled and lived abroad on numerous occasions and his work led him to Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Schwehr’s daughter, Victoria Leigh, graduated from Clemson with a degree in language and international trade. As an undergraduate she studied and worked abroad in Paris, France. After graduation she joined Amazon in Louisville, Kentucky, and later progressed to AeroTek, a prominent national staffing and placement firm. The regional hub in India will combine service- learning projects in two states in India by The Schwehr family: Victoria Leigh (left), Michael William, utilizing an online website housed on Clemson Linda Pogue and Laurel Michelle. servers. This website will allow on-going research and results from multiple projects to be stored, visualized, analyzed, and accessed for curricular development, while outcomes from these projects will be integrated with land use information being planned by Tigers United in order to help us visualize our tiger conservation efforts. Drs. Lori Dickes, Diane Perpich, Sarah White, and Tigers United Director Dr. Brett Wright will serve as team leaders. “Conservation and environmental protection issues in a country like India directly intersect with social and economic factors. Women’s Leadership is delighted to team up with Tigers United to research sustainable solutions that empower women economically, promote the education of girls, and benefit all members of the community,” said Dr. Perpich, Principle Investigator. “Our work over the last several years with the Self Employed Women’s Association of India, helping women lift themselves and their families out of poverty, has provided students with a unique opportunity to experience the richness of Indian culture, the beauty of the landscape, and the generosity and kindness of the region’s people.” Tigers United 2020 annual report 9

20annualreport.indd 9 6/9/2020 1:30:28 PM Academic highlights from Auburn University Ph. D. student recognized by Ecological Society of America

In March, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) announced this year’s GSPA recipients. This award provides graduate students with the opportunity to receive policy and communication training in Washington, DC before they meet lawmakers.

ESA selected twelve students to receive the award: Tiffany L. Betras (University of Pittsburgh), Callie R. Chappell (Stanford University), Claire E. Couch (Oregon State University), Ayo Andra J. Deas (The Graduate Center, City University of New York), Ed Higgins (University of Oklahoma), Renata Poulton Kamakura (Duke University), Alexander K. Killion (University of Michigan), Mayda Nathan (University of Maryland), Vasavi Prakash (from Auburn University and featured below), Natali R. Ramirez-Bullon (Florida State University), Bradley A. Strickland (Florida International University) and Harrison R. Watson (Princeton University).

Students were scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., in late March to learn about the federal legislative process and science funding, to hear from ecologists working in federal agencies, and to meet with their Members of Congress on Capitol Hill. The planned Congressional Visit Day, organized and sponsored by ESA, was to give GSPA recipients the chance to interact with policymakers and discuss the importance of federal funding for science, in particular the biological and ecological sciences. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic this trip was canceled.

“ESA is pleased to bring a record number of early- career ecologists from across the country and around the world to DC to hone their communication skills and engage in science policy,” said ESA President Osvaldo Sala, “Scientists who are confident in their ability to communicate can foster a dialogue with decision- makers that is now needed more than ever.”

Vasavi Prakash is the Auburn University Ph.D. student selected for the grant. She is a Ph.D. candidate at Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife. Her research focuses on human-wildlife conflicts, particularly tigers in India. With an increasing population, fragmenting habitats and poaching threats, tigers face the challenge of surviving in their natural habitat. Conflicts arise due to increased demands on shared resources leading to a negative attitude toward conservation.

She is looking for effective solutions that can be implemented at a policy level to augment conservation efforts of large fields. Before graduate school she worked with the Indian government where her responsibilities included forest and wildlife management. Prakash holds a Masters in Forestry from Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in India.

We congratulate Vasavi on her award and are grateful to have her as part of the Tigers United University Consortium Ph.D. program.

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20annualreport.indd 10 6/9/2020 1:30:28 PM Academic highlights from Auburn University Dean Alavalapati connects with GTF Dr. Janaki Alavalapati visited the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) Headquarters in New Delhi in November 2019 to discuss possible options to strengthen collaborations/ partnership with Indian government agencies to move the Tigers United University Consortium (TUUC) forward. More specifically, he discussed the issue of cost sharing of future education programs between Tigers United and Indian government with Dr. Rajesh Gopal and Mr. Mohnish Kapoor, the two key representatives from GTF. He also visited with senior leadership at the National Tiger Conservation Authority in New Delhi to discuss the options to muster their support for Tigers United Ph.D. students’ field work.

Both students in the first cohort of Tigers United Ph.D. students at Auburn are progressing well.

Ms. Vasavi Prakash arrived in Auburn in 2019, shortly before the beginning of fall semester. In her two semesters on campus, she has taken a heavy class load due to her program requirements but has been highly effective in initiating class research projects that are subsequently being developed into manuscripts that will inform conservation efforts in India and worldwide. Vasavi was one of only 10 graduate students nation-wide selected for the Ecological Society of America’s McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award. She also was selected for the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLT) Program Professional Development Scholarship to attend the CLT Southeast workshop. Finally, Vasavi was recently selected from a large competitive pool to participate in this summer’s SESYNC Short Course on Introduction to Spatial Agent-Based Modeling.

Mr. Shivakumar Channapplar Maheshappa joined in 2019 and has already completed 30 credit hours of course work. The remaining 20 credit hours required for doctoral study are expected to complete in the academic year 2020-21. Shivakumar will be ready to start his field research work, likely from late spring 2021 to summer 2022. Shivakumar plans to address the livelihood issues of forest-dependent communities and proposes integrated tiger conservation planning. Specifically, he will focus on socioeconomic impact of tiger conservation on forest-dependent communities and explore the policy alternatives to address the people issues associated with tiger conservation.

Director Brett Wright met with Auburn University faculty and Ph.D. students in November 2019 to discuss research projects and priorities. Featured in the photo above from left to right are: Professor of Forest Economics and Management Yaoqi Zhang, Dean of School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Janaki Alavalapati, Ph.D. student Shivakumar Maheshappa, Ph.D.student Vasavi Prakash, Professor of Wildlife Biology and Conservation Christopher Lepczyk and Director Brett Wright.

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20annualreport.indd 11 6/9/2020 1:30:30 PM Tiger vs. Tiger: national championship brings light to tigers’ plight

The Louisiana State University (LSU) tigers defeated the Clemson University tigers on the football field, with a final score of 42-25 in the National Championship College Football Game in January 2020. While the two teams were fierce competitors on the field, off the field the two universities work collaboratively to save their mascot.

The College Football National Championship game featured two of the four Tigers United universities -- Clemson and LSU. These two schools are joined by Auburn University and University of Missouri. Through the consortium, the four universities combine their expertise in academic disciplines important to tiger conservation and protection—wildlife management, engineering, environmental science, conservation social science, veterinary medicine, communications, and eco-tourism, to name a few. Our work is focused on four pillars: training, research, technology transfer and awareness. With more than one university approaching the problem, the odds of success increase.

Both universities were delighted to partner with Discovery Inc., the global leader in real life entertainment, to bring a national spotlight to the issue of tiger conservation. Fans of both teams were asked to text either CUTigers or LSUTigers to support their favorite team. The campaign raised awareness and support for a shared goal of doubling the wild tiger population by 2022 with proceeds directed to Discovery’s Project C.A.T. and Tigers United University Consortium.

The Tiger vs. Tiger matchup provided a great platform to shine a spotlight on the endangered tiger population and the multiple threats they still face from poaching and habitat loss. There are currently less than 4,000 wild tigers on the planet. Tigers are the most popular mascot; they are revered in some cultures and prominent in popular culture. They are everywhere except where they should be, in the wild. As apex predators, tigers play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. By protecting tigers and their habitat, we are also helping to protect other at-risk animals that share this habitat.

“Discovery and Tigers United share the common goal of saving our wild tigers. With this unique opportunity of two tiger-mascot universities, both members of Tigers United, facing off in the national championship game, we were excited to partner with Discovery’s Project C.A.T. to broadly share our conservation message,”

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said Dr. Brett Wright, Director of Tigers United University Consortium and Professor and Dean Emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences at Clemson University.

Discovery launched Project C.A.T., Conserving Acres for Tigers in 2016 to protect and increase the wild tiger population, which has shrunk an astonishing 93% over the last century. This program funds nearly six million acres of protected habitat across five countries and aims to ensure a healthy habitat for future generations of tigers.

“Project C.A.T. is an incredibly important initiative for Discovery and one that aligns with our global mission as an organization to inspire, inform and make positive changes in the world,” said David Leavy, Chief Corporate Operating Officer at Discovery, Inc. “Tigers United was a wonderful partner in this campaign, and we were thrilled to bring the message of tiger conservation to consumers on such a major national platform during the College Football National Championship.”

Clemson and LSU alumni and fans eagerly supported the campaign and the organization, driving attention to Tigers United’s social media channels and website. Each university’s alumni association fully supported the campaign and invited members of the Tigers United team to distribute 1,000 miniature stuffed tigers featuring the Tigers United conservation message.

“The LSU Tigers were very pleased to be part of this initiative to save tigers and wanted to increase the awareness of people supporting our university and our team in the plight of tigers in the wild. Geaux Tigers!” said Dr. Allen Rutherford, Director of the School of Renewable Natural Resources at Louisiana State University.

In the end, the true winner of the championship game was the wild tiger. Tigers United 2020 annual report 13

20annualreport.indd 13 6/9/2020 1:30:32 PM Ph.D. Students Auburn University

Shivakumar Channapplar Maheshappa has M.Sc. in Agriculture and M.Sc. in forestry) and Post Graduate Program on public policy and management. He has excellent professional and administrative experiences in Forest and Wildlife Department, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Ministry of Environment and Forests in India. He also expresses strong interests in in forest management, payment for ecosystem services, and wildlife management. His proposed Ph.D. research will focus on valuation of costs and benefits of the ecosystem services and conservation.

Vasavi Prakash has worked for the Indian Forest Services since 2013, working on wildlife and forest management as a Forest Officer. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Geoinformatics from the University of Twente The Netherlands; an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, a M.Sc. in Forestry from Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy; and a B.Sc. in Zoology and Biochemistry from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Her intended Ph.D. research focus will be identifying human-tiger conflict zones for informing land-scale conservation strategies.

Clemson University

Pragati Mandloi , pictured here with Clemson University President James Clements, works with Madhya Pradesh State Forest Department as Project Manager (Livelihoods Issues) on World Bank’s “Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihoods Improvement (BCRLI)” Project in Central Indian Landscape. She designs and implement strategies for securing livelihoods for local tribal communities of Pench-Satpuda tiger corridor area. Pragati received her Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry management from Indian Institute of Forest Management in the year 2014. Her Ph.D. studies will focus on human dimensions of tiger conservation in India.

Pramod Yadav Pramod is a Ph.D. candidate at Clemson University as part of Tigers United University Consortium. He has completed a Masters in Biodiversity and Conservation from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University New Delhi. Pramod was honored with the “Future Conservationist Award - 2015” by the Conservation Leadership Program to lead a team for conservation of caterpillar fungus in the Himalayas. Caterpillar fungus is used for a variety of traditional medicines by the Chinese for hundreds of years. Before coming to Clemson, Pramod worked with TRAFFIC – a wildlife trade monitoring network hosted by WWF in India. He has experience in diverse fields related to biodiversity conservation, wildlife trade assessment, environment impact assessment and climate change.

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20annualreport.indd 14 6/9/2020 1:30:35 PM Louisiana State University

Alessandra Bresnan received a B.A. in Global Politics and an M.A. in Economy in Rome, Italy before working at the Climate Change Division of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization where she realized how passionate she was about wildlife conservation. To build her knowledge, Bresnan decided to re-enroll in university for a B.Sc. in International Wildlife Biology in Cardiff, United Kingdom, where she discovered that the application of genetics can facilitate wildlife conservation. She carried out her thesis on investigating African leopard diet via genetics and then continued on to a Masters in Conservation Genetics. Bresnan moved back to the United States after Alessandra Bresnan, LSU graduate living 11 years abroad to pursue a doctoral degree at Louisiana student in the College of Agriculture State University. She currently works in Dr. Sabrina Taylor’s School of Renewable Natural Resources, Conservation Genetics Lab. is studying conservation genetics of tigers.

University of Missouri As an enthusiastic wildlife researcher, Anam Ahsan completed her master’s degree in wildlife sciences from Aligarh Muslim University and after that joined the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in Dehradun for another masters in GIS specialization. Most of Anam’s master’s work was focused on conservation corridors for tigers using technical and modeling approaches. Before coming to the United States for her Ph.D. in the Tigers United program, Anam worked in Corbett National Park as a wildlife researcher. During her tenure in Corbett, Anam was involved in a number of wildlife conservation activities including field surveys, biodiversity monitoring, and geospatial analysis technical work. During her masters and work experience with the Indian Forest Department, Anam also worked on forest biomass estimation, fire hotspots analysis, watershed management and habitat suitability analyses.

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G27 Lehotsky Hall Clemson University Clemson, SC 29634

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