Dr. Patrick Mehlman

Over the course of 30 years, primatologist Patrick Mehlman has made significant contributions to the fields of science and anthropology, as well as many conservation efforts. Beginning at the University of Toronto, Mehlman completed his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology while also working as a graduate and undergraduate lecturer for the Department. After completing his dissertation on Barbary macaques in Morocco, Patrick Mehlman transitioned to the Department of Anthropology at the Université de Montréal to conduct research on Japanese macaques while continuing a teaching career as a Post-Graduate Lecturer. His additional contributions to academic departments include a position as the Field Research Director for the Mondika Research Center, operated by Stony Brook University of New York. While with the University, Patrick Mehlman directed a research facility located in the Ndoki Swamp of the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). While working abroad, Patrick Mehlman began professional research on lowland gorillas, a pursuit he would continue for many years. Following two years with Stony Brook University, he accepted the position of Vice President of Africa Programs with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Inc., a renowned program in the field of primate conservation. Over the course of five years with the Fund, Patrick Mehlman took on a host of responsibilities that included working with grants and fundraising, managing programs in Kigali, Rwanda, and Goma, DRC. After helping to create two large nature reserves and raising the Fund's annual budget by over $2 million, Patrick Mehlman continued his conservation efforts in Central Africa with Conservation International, where he served as Senior Director. Currently with Rare Conservation, a community-minded organization that promotes social marketing, Patrick Mehlman is the Senior Director of Program Development. Partnering with hundreds of international organizations, Rare Conservation and Patrick Mehlman are currently making great strides in promoting sustainable fishing, as well as watershed and wetland protection in many locations across the globe.