Board of Directors

Stephen Alter, India
Stephen Alter is the author of four novels and four books of narrative nonfiction, all set in India where he was born and raised.  His most recent book is Elephas maximus, a portrait of the elephants of India in culture and in nature.  He has been awarded both a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright Grant.  Stephen is in the Himalayas collecting an anthology of folklore related to natural history

Wilbur B. Amand V.M.D., USA
Dr. Wilbur Amand served for many years as the Executive Director of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians.  He  holds that position for the American College of Veterinary Nutrition and several other organizations.  He is the former Editor of the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and has received numerous awards for his outstanding service to zoos and wildlife.

Hank Hammatt, USA
Hank Hammatt is co-founder and Executive Director of Elephant Care International.  He is a member of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group.  A former financial advisor and business owner, he has lived in Colombia, Indonesia, and in the rainforest of Belize (in a thatched hut without electricity or running water). He worked in Sumatra with Dr. Susan Mikota from 2001-2003 to improve the healthcare and conservation of elephants.  He also does the website and photography.  hh@elephantcare.org

Susan Mikota DVM, USA
Dr. Susan Mikota is co-founder and Director of Veterinary Programs & Research for Elephant Care International. She is also a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group. She just completed her second book on elephant healthcare (with co-editor Murray Fowler DVM).  She created and maintains the world's largest elephant bibliographic database on elephant healthcare and with Donald C. Plumb, Pharm D. has published the first elephant formulary.  Dr. Mikota was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work with Sumatran elephants.  smikota@elephantcare.org

Genny Dumonceaux DVM
Busch Gardens

Joanne L. Flynn, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry,
Professor, Department of Immunology,
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease,
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Leonid Heifets, MD, PhD
Director
Mycobacteriology Laboratory
National Jewish National Jewish Medical and Research Center

Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Ph.D.
Coordinator, DNA Barcoding Initiative for Conservation
Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
American Museum of Natural History

Joel Maslow, MD. PhD
Division of Infectious Diseases
Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Michele Miller DVM
AZA Elephant TAG vet advisor

William S. Modi, Ph.D.
Conservation and Research
Genetics Division
Zoological Society of San Diego

Richard Montali DVM
Retired Veterinary Pathologist

David A. Moore MD
Senior Lecturer in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine
Division of Investigative Science, Medicine
Imperial College
London

Janet B. Payeur DVM, PhD
Scientific Outreach Coordinator
National Veterinary Services Laboratories

Charles Peloquin, Pharm.D.
Director
Infectious Disease Pharmacokinetics Laboratory
National Jewish Medical and Research Center

William Schaffner MD
Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine, Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville)

Karen A. Terio, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
Zoological Pathology Program
University of Illinois

Dominic Travis DVM, MS
Senior Director, Conservation and Science
Lincoln Park Zoo

W. Ray Waters, DVM, PhD
Tuberculosis Research Project
National Animal Disease Center
 

We have assembled a world-class Advisory Board of experienced veterinarians, conservationists, and scientists from the U.S., Europe, and Asian elephant range countries. The Advisory Board provides technical guidance to the Board of Directors and has a strong role in selecting research and field conservation projects. These are the talented professionals who have volunteered their time and expertise to assist the elephants.

Wahdi Azmi, SKH. Indonesia, Fauna and Flora International, Indonesia, Elephant Conservationist

Jacob Cheeran DVM, India, co-founder Elephant Welfare Society

Ravindra D.M.Corea, Sri Lanka, President, Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society

Ashoka Dangolla BVSc Phd., Sri Lanka, Dept. of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya.

Genny Dumonceaux DVM, USA, Busch Gardens

Yudha Fahrimal, DVM, Indonesia, Professor of Veterinary Medicine

Murray Fowler DVM, USA, Author of numerous veterinary texts, and co-author and editor of the forthcoming Elephant Biology, Medicine, and Surgery

Simon Hedges, UK, Co-chair, Asian Elephant Specialist Group (IUCN); Asian Elephant Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society

Joel Maslow, MD, PhD, USA, ACOS for Research, Chief Infectious Diseases VA Medical Center, Associate Dean for Research, University of Pennsylvania, Associate Professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania

It is impossible to list all of the many volunteers who have assisted us.  However a few have done so much, for so long, that we bring your attention to them below.  Thank you all for your generous efforts!  We could never have accomplished so much without you!

Barb Vincent, VT USA:  Veterinary Technical Support
Barb was awarded 1999’s “Excellence in Veterinary Nursing” as one of the top 10 Veterinary Technicians in the US.  Barbara has worked both in the private sector and Zoo & Research facilities for approximately 18 years. She started working with Dr. Susan Mikota in 1998.  Barb’s work with elephant healthcare and their conservation has become a passion. She was a member of the Nepal Project team, independently covering her expenses to participate.

Barbara Clarke, USA: Since 1990 Barbara has been the librarian at the Women's Center at Vanderbilt University. She has a graduate degree in library science and has worked in the libraries at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, at Baptist Hospital in Knoxville, at the University of Tennessee and at the Brentwood Library. She's a volunteer for the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN and has contributed considerable time to updating ECI's Elephant Bibliographical Database