Title

Director of Graduate Studies and Adjunct Professor

Affiliation/Department

Director, Center for Biodiversity Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History

Telephone:

(212) 769-5266

e-mail:

sterling@amnh.org

Professional degree

Ph.D., Anthropology and Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 1993

Advisees: Nuria Bernal, Andrea Freeman, Minh Lee
Please Note: Professor Sterling is NOT currently accepting new advisees.

Research Keywords

Conservation Biology, Mammals

Research
Description

Dr. Sterling’s current research topics include biodiversity conservation and the history of land use change in Vietnam , and documenting biodiversity on Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. She is especially interested in determining population densities and habitat use by sea turtles on the atoll to better plan for the conservation of turtle habitats and the overall management of the island. She also studies the evolution and distribution of both linguistic and biological diversity, and the connections between their conservation. In 2000, Dr. Sterling spearheaded the establishment of the CBC’s Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners, which works to create and implement educational materials and teaching resources for biodiversity conservation at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels around the world (ncep.amnh.org).

Representative Publications:

Horning, N., J. Robinson, E.J. Sterling, W. Turner, and S. Spector, eds. In Prep. An Introduction to Remote Sensing for Biodiversity Conservation. Oxford University Press.

McNeely, J., E.J. Sterling, and J. Mulongoy. 2008. What each of us can do to save biodiversity. In: Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. Edited by E. Chivian et al. Oxford Press.

Mendez, M., A. Gomez, N. Bynum, R. Medellin, A.L. Porzecanski, and E.J. Sterling. 2007. Availability of formal academic programs in conservation biology in Latin America. Conservation Biology 21(6): 1399-1403.

Sterling , E.J., J. Lee and T. Wood. 2007. Conservation education in zoos: an emphasis on behavioral change. In: Zoos in the 21 st Century: Catalysts for Conservation ? Edited by Alexandra Zimmerman et al. pp 37-50. Cambridge University Press.

Sterling, E.J. 2007. Blue Planet Blues. Natural History (November 2007) pp. 29-31.

Sterling, E.J., and M. Camhi. 2007. Sold Down the River. Natural History (November 2007) pp. 40-45.

Sterling, E.J., M.M. Hurley, and Le Duc Minh. 2006. Vietnam: A Natural History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Sterling, E.J. and E. McCreless. 2006. Adaptations in the Aye-aye: A Review. In: Lemurs: Ecology and Adaptation. Gould, L. and M.L. Sauther, Editors. Springer/Kluwer.

Sterling, E.J. and M.M. Hurley. 2005. Conserving biodiversity in Vietnam : applying biogeography to conservation research. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 56, Supplement I (9)90–105.

Turner, W., S. Spector, N. Gardiner, M. Fladeland, E.J. Sterling, and M. Steininger. 2003. Remote sensing for biodiversity science and conservation. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18(6):306-314.

Turner, W. and E.J. Sterling, eds. 2001. Special Section: Contributions of Remote Sensing to Biodiversity Conservation: A NASA Approach. Conservation Biology 15:832-953.

Gibbs, J.P., M.L. Hunter, and E.J. Sterling. 1998. Problem Solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management: Exercises for Class, Field, and Laboratory. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science, Inc.