James A Kushlan

James A. Kushlan is a scientist by background, specializing in wetlands and waterbird biology and conservation. He has published over 200 scientific papers and ten books on these topics. He earned his PhD from the University of Miami and has held the posts of senior scientist with the National Park Service at Everglades National Park, professor of biology at Texas A&M – Commerce and The University of Mississippi, director of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and research associate at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the founder and chair of the North American Waterbird Conservation Initiative (Waterbird Conservation for the Americas), former member of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative U.S .Committee, former Chair of Bird Conservation Alliance, past president of the American Ornithological Union and the Waterbird Society, past editor of the journal Waterbirds. He is the founding chair of the IUCN Heron Specialist Group (HeronConservation). In addition to the Everglades Foundation board, he serves on the boards of American Ornithologists’ Union, Zoo Miami, HistoryMiami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Visiting Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences University of Miami, and Waterbird Conservation for the Americas. He and his wife, Kirsten Hines, reside in Key Biscayne, Florida.