Morné du Plessis
Morné du Plessis was born in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and, as a school boy in 1975, developed a strong interest in the social system of the Red-billed Woodhoopoe. This led to his establishing two study populations in the Komga district in 1981. This study still continues today. He received a BSc Agric from the University of Stellenbosch in 1984, a BSc Honours in Zoology at the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria (1985), and completed his PhD on the 'Behavioural Ecology of the Red-billed Woodhoopoe in South Africa' at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute (PFIAO), University of Cape Town, in 1989.
During a post-doctoral stint in the USA, he spent six months at the University of New Mexico with David Ligon, and a further year at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley, with Walter Koenig. Up until this time most of his research focused on the evolution of co-operative breeding in birds.
Upon his return to South Africa in 1992, he took up a contract position at the PFIAO, until moving as Biodiversity Research Co-ordinator to the Natal Parks Board in 1994. It was shortly after his move out of academia that he was awarded the first Foundation of Research Development's President's Award within the Animal Sciences. After two and a half years at the coal face of conservation research, he took on the directorship of the PFIAO in September 1996. He was appointed as the CEO of WWF SA in September 2007.
During a post-doctoral stint in the USA, he spent six months at the University of New Mexico with David Ligon, and a further year at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley, with Walter Koenig. Up until this time most of his research focused on the evolution of co-operative breeding in birds.
Upon his return to South Africa in 1992, he took up a contract position at the PFIAO, until moving as Biodiversity Research Co-ordinator to the Natal Parks Board in 1994. It was shortly after his move out of academia that he was awarded the first Foundation of Research Development's President's Award within the Animal Sciences. After two and a half years at the coal face of conservation research, he took on the directorship of the PFIAO in September 1996. He was appointed as the CEO of WWF SA in September 2007.
Opgedateer/Updated: 2007-10-23
Bio-inligting verouderd? Stuur 'n e-pos aan bio@litnet.co.za
Bio-info dated? Send an e-mail to bio@litnet.co.za
