Gonder, Mary Professor and Head of the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology

Dr. Gonder holds the position of professor and department head in the field of Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University. Her primary research centers on investigating the biological history of the Gulf of Guinea and Congo Basin rainforests, crucial hubs of global biological diversity. Dr. Gonder's ongoing research encompasses three main areas of focus:



Analyzing spatial biodiversity patterns.

Unraveling the underlying evolutionary and ecological mechanisms contributing to diversity.

Contributing to conservation strategies that incorporate both evolutionary patterns and processes.

Although her earlier work predominantly concentrated on primates, particularly chimpanzees, her research scope is not limited to a specific taxonomic group. Her research group is currently engaged in studying various tropical vertebrates with the explicit goal of enhancing biodiversity forecasting and conservation planning.



Having dedicated nearly three decades to central Africa, primarily in Cameroon and Nigeria, Dr. Gonder has also extended her research to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. She has co-hosted several international technical workshops in this region and holds of the IUCN's Primate Specialist Group's Great Apes section and the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group. Additionally, she is one of the six scientists on the Scientific Commission of the United Nations Great Ape Survival Project.