The lecture schedule is as follows:

9:45 a.m.: James Miller, Ph.D., dean and vice president for science at the NYBG’s International Plant Science Center, on “Research to Inform Conservation: Assessing Risk of Extinction for the World’s Plant Species.”,

10:45 a.m.: Joshua Ginsberg, Ph.D., senior vice president and deputy chief conservation officer at the WCS, on “The Impact of Scale on Conservation Interventions;” and

11:15 a.m., George Amato, Ph.D., director of the Center for Conservation Genetics at AMNH, on “The DNA Barcoding Initiative for Conservation of Biodiversity: An International Partnership.”

The lectures represent an effort to strengthen Fordham’s Conservation Biology program as well as its partnership programs with the three institutions.

In the afternoon, faculty who are interested in learning more about grant proposal writing in the sciences can attend a 1 p.m. session moderated by John Wehr, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of Fordham’s Calder Center.

There will also be a brainstorming session to explore ways in which to collaborate in the field of conservation biology. Steven Franks, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Evon Hekkala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, will moderate the session.

The event is sponsored by Fordham’s Dean of Faculty, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Fordham College at Rose Hill and the Department of Biology. For more information, contact Amy Tuininga, Ph.D., associate dean for strategic initiatives, partnerships & assessment at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of biology. To register, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/JHG2SRH

“Fordham University and the Wildlife Conservation Society have taken great strides in strengthening their relationship as Fordham, particularly the Department of Biological Sciences, continues to increase its focus on conservation biology,” said J. Alan Clark, Ph.D., J.D., assistant professor of biological sciences at Fordham. “John Robinson is an international leader in the conservation science community, and we’re delighted to have him speak on our campus.”

The seminar “The Changing Landscape of Conservation,” is sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences at Fordham.

Robinson oversees WCS conservation programs in the Americas, Africa and Asia. He received his doctorate in zoology from the University of North Carolina in 1977, focusing on primate behavior and ecology. His postdoctoral studies were with the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, Robinson established the University of Florida Program for Studies in Tropical Conservation, a graduate program providing training to students from tropical countries. Robinson joined WCS in 1990 as director for international conservation programs.

In June, Fordham and The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) agreed to expand graduate research opportunities at the University and permit joint staff arrangements, cooperative programs and use of both institutions’ facilities for education and research, with special emphases in plant sciences, conservation biology and ecology. Last year, Fordham University Graduate School of Education and WCS/Bronx Zoo agreed to offer a joint program leading to a Master of Science degree in education and New York state initial teacher certification in adolescent science education. Fordham also recently signed an agreement with Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine for a collaborative relationship that will strengthen the science and medical offerings at both institutions.