Our Team
-
Abigail Ross, PhD, Executive Director
Abby decided to turn her life-long enthusiasm for nature into a career when as a college freshman she chaperoned a high school trip to the Galápagos Islands. Abby is a primatologist and earned her PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Toronto. Her research broadly focuses on maternal care, environmental endocrinology, and nutritional ecology in lemurs. She has participated in conservation projects in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, and South Africa. Her mentorship of Malagasy graduate students galvanized TDARFAC’s creation and first inspired Abby to advocate for conservation action in 2010.
“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.”
— Edward Abbey
-
Rindra Rakotoarivony, PhD, Madagascar In-Country Director
Rindra is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. His research focuses on human population genetics and lemur conservation. Rindra is a project consultant at Rutgers University. Previously, he worked as a project manager and fellow at Variant Bio in charge of a bioanthropological project addressing genetics and health. Rindra is skilled in project management, youth empowerment, education, academic research, and community-based research.
-
Ange Nandrianina Raharinirina, DVM, Logistics Operations Manager
Ange is a veterinarian with the Mad Dog Initiative (MDI) and has helped lead MDI’s free spay/neuter clinics and rabies campaign since 2022. Ange earned her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Her thesis examined parasite patterns in mouse lemurs in the fragmented landscape surrounding Analanjirofo. Her goals include creating long-term sustainable development opportunities for rural communities and pursuing her passions of preserving biodiversity while working with animals in Madagascar.
-
Erik Lund, Vice President
Erik is a digital cartographer and GIS specialist. His passion for conservation began at a young age during annual camping trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. When not making maps, Erik is an avid White Sox baseball fan, antique pool table expert, and enjoys spending time with his turtles, Pip and Wally.
-
Jhoanny Rasojivola, MA, Field Project Manager
Jhoanny is a graduate student at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. His master’s degree research investigated comparative feeding behavior in sifakas. He recently participated in the E2M2: Ecological & Epidemiological Modeling Workshop with the University of Chicago at Center ValBio. Jhoanny’s interest in primatology sparked during an internship at Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park. Since then, he has deepened his knowledge by contributing to field studies in Andasibe-Mantadia, Ankarafantsika, and Ranomafana National Parks; Maromizaha and Tsinjoarivo-Ambalaomby New Protected Areas. Jhoanny has a passion for wildlife videography and photography. His goal is to showcase Madagascar's biodiversity, highlighting the importance of lemur conservation to the wider public.
-
Michelle Quigley, Treasurer
Michelle is the Chief Financial Office at J.L. Woode Ltd. LLC, a privately owned investment and real estate development company in Chicago, Illinois. Michelle brings a unique perspective to building a successful foundation from the ground up by applying her expertise in finance, business development and ability to act as a liaison to facilitate cooperation between various groups. Outside the office, Michelle enjoys reading, watching her high school daughter swim, and vacationing with her daughter, son, and husband.
Advisory Council
We are a group of practitioners and specialists in our respective fields. Our purpose is to draw on expert knowledge from a variety of skill sets to discuss the management of existing initiatives, explore new opportunities for project development, and share imaginative insights from strategic thinking to assist TDARFAC in accomplishing its mission and objectives (see O’Connell & Carter 2022). We strive to follow best practices for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
-
Dr. Bolt is a primatologist and member of the board of directors at Maderas Rainforest Conservancy, a conservation non-profit organization that protects tropical forests in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Laura is also the co-director of the La Suerte Forest Fragmentation and Primate Behavioral Ecology project in Costa Rica. Her research focuses on howler, capuchin, and spider monkey behavioral ecology in fragmented forests in Central America as well as ring-tailed lemur vocalization behavior in Madagascar. Dr. Bolt is a member of the IUCN Primate Specialist Groups for both Central America and Madagascar.
-
Dr. Bornbusch is a microbial ecologist studying animal and environmental microbiomes, with an emphasis on integrating microbiome science into the fields of animal biology, management, and conservation. A particular focus of her research is the use of microbial therapies, such as fecal transplants, to improve the health and wellbeing of endangered wildlife under human care. She further works with conservation groups to incorporate microbial ecology into wildlife conservation practices such as reintroductions and translocations. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Conservation Genomics at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
-
Dr. Bransford is an assistant professor in the Animal Studies program at Eckerd College. Tim is a primatologist that has studied both wild and captive primates, particularly focusing on Bornean orangutans and several lemur species. He is interested in questions about primate diet, ranging, and parental care, and uses both direct and indirect observations to answer questions about primate behavior, conservation, and the human-wildlife interface.
-
Ms. Doyle is an attorney that started her own law firm, BDN Associates LLC, along with her two colleagues in Oak Brook, Illinois. Deb brings expertise to advise on a variety of complex personal, legal, and business issues.
-
Dr. Hasiniaina studies acoustics signalling systems and how acoustic methods can play a major role in biodiversity monitoring. She is specifically interested in assessing the conservation biology of lemurs through bioacoustic methods. Alida’s future goals are to build knowledge on the use of bioacoustics as a non-invasive tool to detect and monitor nocturnal lemur communities in Madagascar.
-
Dr. Huntley is a comparative nutritionist driven to improve animal health and well-being through nutritional solutions. She works as a nutritionist with Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition where she formulates diets, conducts research in partnership with zoos and universities, and provides nutrition support to customers. Nichole also serves on the board of directors for the Comparative Nutrition Society. Nichole is passionate about building a brighter future for animals in human care and in the wild.
-
Dr. Irwin is a professor at Northern Illinois University. His research focuses on the ecological adaptations of lemurs and how habitat disturbance affects the ecology, behavior, and health of individuals and populations. Mitch has published work on feeding ecology, nutrition, body mass/condition, and parasitology. He is interested in how Madagascar's environment has influenced the evolution of key lemur traits such as low activity levels, cathemerality, and female social dominance. Mitch has an on-going field project in Tsinjoarivo, eastern Madagascar and is the Co-Founder of SADABE.
-
Mr. Lund made a career as a professional technical liaison in the fields of analytical and biological sciences; gaining hands-on experience with the cultures of the Asia-Pacific, European, and South American regions. Recently, Robert has contributed to research activities originating from Madagascar, and pursues his life-long interest in botanical studies.
-
Dr. Patel is a primatologist and Conservation and Research Director at the Lemur Conservation Foundation. Erik has studied one of the most Critically Endangered primates in the world, the silky sifaka, in Marojejy National Park located in northeastern Madagascar since 2000. He serves as the Madagascar country field representative for Seacology and is a member of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group
-
Dr. Porter is a professor at Northern Illinois University. Leila is a biological anthropologist whose research focuses on South American monkeys, particularly tamarins, marmosets and callimicos. She has studied diet, habitat use, and parental care. Leila has on-going field research in Bolivia and is involved in local conservation efforts. Her most recent project examines the nutritional benefits of insectivory for saddleback tamarins.
-
Dr. Rafalinirina is a primatologist, biostatistician, and project consultant at the University of Antananarivo. Herman’s research interests include biodiversity monitoring, conservation ecology, and infectious disease epidemiology. He has examined parasite infections and socioecological factors in mouse lemurs. Herman also works on environmental campaigns in protected areas and surrounding communities in Madagascar. He recently created GMMT, an association of Malagasy conservationists dedicated to teaching conservation education in Antananarivo schools.
-
Dr. Raharivololona has been interested in the biodiversity of Madagascar and lemurs since 1994. Dr. Raharivololona was recruited as a teacher-researcher in the Department of Paleontology and Biological Anthropology of the Sciences Faculty, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Brigitte was among the leaders in the development of the training program for the Department of Anthropobiology and Sustainable Development when in 2013/14, the Malagasy universities switched to the new teaching system LMD (Licence - Master - Doctorat).
She is currently the Director of the Laboratory of Primatology and Vertebrate Paleontology at the University of Antananarivo. Brigitte is also the Vice Chair and scientific member of GERP and active member of IUCN/SSC PSG, and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership.
Read more about Dr. Raharivololona’s work & research. Read Brigitte’s detailed bio here.
-
Dr. Ranaivoarisoa is the Chair of the department of Anthropobiology et Développement Durable (ADD) in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Antananarivo. ADD has a specialized anthropology laboratory focused on studying lemurs. The main objectives of the department are to provide wildlife training programs, conduct research, and promote conservation efforts to future generations of Malagasy people. ADD works closely with many associations, NGOs, and partners. Freddy has extensive experience in primate behavior, genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics as well as community-based conservation. He recently studied nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenomics in sifakas.
-
Dr. Randriana is Co-Director of the Mad Dog Initiative. Zoavina earned her veterinary degree from the University of Antananarivo, and a master’s degree in conservation from the University of Oxford. She has immense experience working with international conservation NGOs and first joined the Mad Dog Initiative as a veterinarian in 2014. She is a board member of a Malagasy NGO called Women Rise Wildlife Research.
-
Mr. Razafitsalama is the In-country Director and Operations Manager for Planet Madagascar. Mamy is an award-winning conservationist dedicated to helping create sustainable forest communities in Madagascar. Previously, Mamy worked as a consultant in the malaria program at Population Services International.
-
Dr. Steffens is an assistant professor at the University of Guelph. Travis investigates human-lemur interactions within a shared environment. He applies conservation biogeography, spatial ecology, and One Health approaches to understand how lemurs interact with and respond to human-caused disturbance. Travis is the Founder and Executive Director of Planet Madagascar.
-
Dr. Tsinovoi specializes in program and project management with a background in epidemiology and anthropology. Cari's current work focuses on managing the startup of clinical trials in low- to middle-income countries. She is passionate about public health and global health, particularly in the most vulnerable populations.
-
Dr. Valenta is an assistant professor at the University of Florida. Kim is an evolutionary ecologist researching interactions between wild plants and animals and how these can be affected by human activities in Madagascar and Uganda. She is primarily interested in how co-evolved systems respond when they are altered by humans. Kim is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Mad Dog Initiative.
-
Ms. Zethmayr is a location strategy consultant for corporations seeking to establish industrial and office operations around the globe. Carrie joined Newmark in 2021 and currently serves as a Director of Location Advisory within the Global Strategy and Consulting Team, specializing in multi-market location advisory and real-estate evaluation. Recent projects have taken her to Malaysia and Thailand to evaluate land sites for industrial development, with a focus on incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) into location evaluation. Carrie has a passion for cross-cultural relationship development and orangutan conservation.
Council of Advisors & TDARFAC Agreement
Employees of any partner organizations in which advisory council members are participants are not to be considered employees of TDARFAC, borrowed or otherwise. Volunteers of partner organizations or TDARFAC are free to volunteer for one or both organizations, with the caveat that any funding decisions made by TDARFAC regarding partner organizations cannot be made in conjunction with volunteers or employees of partner organizations to avoid conflict of interest. A Memorandum of Understanding will be developed as needed between TDARFAC and organizations and/or partnerships.
Should organizations in which Advisory Council members are participants apply for funding through TDARFAC, and should TDARFAC consider funding these projects, or partnering directly with the organization to develop and/or deliver a project or outcome, no active member of the potential partner organization (employee or volunteer) may be present for funding decisions. Additionally, no member of partner organizations is allowed to benefit from their association either personally or financially with TDARFAC.
Dr. Raharivololona (far right) training students on behavioral data collection from lemurs (Propithecus perrieri) during a field school in the Andrafiamena Protected Area, Northern Madagascar, July 2022.