Introducing a new generation of conservation leaders: Robert Sassor

"Raised in the State of Oregon, USA, I have long had an interest in social engagement with nature. I studied pelagic tar and plastic pollution in the Sargasso during six weeks at sea. In Tanzania, I coordinated the conservation action plan for the Greater Gombe Ecosystem and its famous chimpanzees, and co-coordinated the conservation plan for the Masito Ugalla landscape while fostering adaptive management expertise among local stakeholders. One of my most inspirational experiences was collaborating with stakeholders to develop a wildfire prevention campaign that incorporated local values associated with fire, in an effort to reduce the unsustainable incidence of wildfires in two regions of Tanzania. This experience enabled me to capitalize on my twin passions of conservation and communications. During my years as an English major at Willamette University and subsequently as a researcher and ghost writer on environmental themes, I learned that environmental literature can play an important role in shaping public opinion. I come to Cambridge to examine the methods for determining environmental values and their roots in order to develop conservation plans and communications grounded in the environmental values of the constituencies concerned, particularly among coastal communities."