Dr. Arjun Srivathsa
Arjun joined WCS–India in 2012. He obtained his Master of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the graduate program offered by NCBS–WCS in 2012. He obtained his PhD from the University of Florida, USA in 2020. His doctoral research focused on conservation ecology of dholes. He is currently a DST INSPIRE Fellow at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS–TIFR) and an Affiliate Scientist with WCS–India.
Arjun’s past and on-going collaborative projects include studies of carnivore ecology, applied conservation research, human-carnivore interactions, country- and region-scale conservation prioritizations, and methodological approaches to wildlife population monitoring across multiple landscapes in Asia. He is a member of the IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group, the IUCN Dhole Working Group and an Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences. He is also a professional artist and cartoonist, specializing in creating conservation-themed artwork for nature education and science communication.
Nupur Kulkarni
Nupur is an international development professional having thematic expertise in Anthropology and Natural Resources Management. Over a career spanning 8 years, she has worn different hats, from conducting extensive field work for policy research and implementation of development programmes and holding faculty positions to working alongside the government on policy matters to ensure social and economical security for Scheduled Tribes of India, including Forest Rights Act. She holds MA in development from the Institute of Development Studies, UK and MA in Anthropology from Pune University.
Dr. Vishnupriya Sankararaman
Vishnupriya initially joined WCS-India in 2012 as a Research Assistant, after receiving a Master's degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the National Centre for Biological Sciences and WCS-India. She later received a PhD in Ecology from Penn State University in 2022. Her doctoral dissertation focused on understanding amphibian community structure across spatial scales in agroforest landscapes of the Western Ghats.
Her interests lie in understanding multi-dimensional and conflicting issues of biodiversity conservation and economic goals in agriculture. With her training in quantitative ecology, she uses modeling approaches such as community occupancy models, optimization models and decision-making tools in informing sustainable management practices for biodiversity conservation on private lands.
Vishnu is passionate about studying a wide range of species, including freshwater fishes, amphibians, and birds. She finds her greatest joy in walking along the leech infested streams of the Western Ghats, and so she continues to find ways to work in that landscape.