Alumnus Steven Monfort appointed Executive Director of the University of California National Reserve System (UCNRS)
Announcement from the University of California National Reserve System (UCNRS):
ESP alumnus (PhD, 1993) Steven L. Monfort, D.V.M, Ph.D., has been appointed the next Executive Director of the University of California National Reserve System (UCNRS), effective November 4, 2021. Dr. Monfort succeeds Dr. Peggy Fiedler, who retired in June 2021 after serving as executive director with excellence for 12 years.
Previously, Dr. Monfort was the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC and the Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, VA. He served in both roles simultaneously since 2017. He served as director of the SCBI since 2006.
Dr. Monfort brings a unique background, relevant expertise, and extensive experience to the UCNRS. At the National Zoo he oversaw the collection of more than 1,800 animals, representing 300 species. At the Conservation Biology Institute, headquartered on 3,200-acres in Front Royal, VA, he led teams of scientists, who are studying and breeding more than 20 species, including some that were once extinct in the wild. More than 300 SCBI scientists are working to save species in over 30 countries.
Dr. Montfort is a subject matter expert in zoo biology, animal health, reproductive biology, behavioral ecology, and conservation biology. He pioneered noninvasive hormone monitoring techniques that revolutionized assessments of reproduction and stress in wildlife species maintained in zoos and in nature. He has published over 150 scientific papers in the broad discipline of reproductive physiology, endocrinology and behavioral ecology. In addition, he was a wildlife veterinary practitioner for 20 years.
As an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University, he co-founded the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, an in-residence program at SCBI with a mission of “Sustaining global biodiversity by advancing the theory and practice of conservation biology with transformative, transdisciplinary education.”
As a conservationist, Dr. Montfort is a founder of a number of important initiatives, including the Sahara Conservation Fund; Conservation Centers for Species Survival; Panama Amphibian Rescue & Conservation Project; and the Global Tiger Initiative. He has served as the chair of the AsianWild Horse Species Survival Plan, and he is currently a member of several specialist groups of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Dr. Montfort is a native Californian. He received a BA in Biology from U.C. San Diego, the doctor of veterinary medicine and master’s degrees from UC Davis, and a doctorate in environmental biology and public policy from George Mason University.
Excerpt from the announcement by:
Co-Interim Executive Director
Michael Kisgen
michael.kisgen@ucop.edu
