Dr. Damayanti "Dami" Buchori

Founder and Director of the Center for Insect Conservation and Studies (PEKA), Wildlife Trust Alliance

A professor at the national agricultural university, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Dr. Buchori is one of Asia's leaders in insect conservation and has worked extensively on integrated pest management. She received a master's degree in entomology from the University of Illinois and a doctorate in biology from the University of Indiana. Dr. Buchori's particular expertise allows her to communicate the importance of beneficial insects and insect biodiversity in rural communities to popular audiences and scientific colleagues alike. In addition to scientific publications, she has published a number of popular articles and has created radio shows and other educational programs. In 2000, Dr. Buchori was the recipient of a prestigious Whitley Award.

Insects first began to fascinate Dr. Buchori at a young age. When she was a child, a common insect, the brown plant hopper, underwent a population explosion and suddenly became a major pest for rice farmers. Dr. Buchori wanted to know how and why this change occurred. This was the beginning of her life-long fascination with insects and the complex dynamics of agricultural ecosystems. She now concentrates her research focus on land use change and how it effects insect diversity, particularly for pollinators and natural enemies (predators and parasitoids).