Dr Tiwonge Mzumara-Gawa is a lecturer in the Biological Sciences Department at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Malawi. Tiwonge is an energetic, detail-focused, and passionate researcher. She is the National Chairperson for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM), where she has served in various positions for over 15 years. Tiwonge is also the team leader for the institutional consortium in Malawi that is leading the development of the field of Biodiversity Informatics. Her research interests are biodiversity conservation and ecosystem ecology. She is passionate about biodiversity informatics and making sure that biodiversity data are easily accessible and inform decision making. She has been leading ornithological research in Malawi and previously worked for the Museums of Malawi. She is a Graça Machel Scholarship Programme awardee and also won the IUCN/IRF Young Conservationist Award in 2014. She is currently focusing on understanding the role of biodiversity in agriculture systems. Tiwonge is a strong believer in ensuring that the next generation of scientists is given opportunities to grow and thus enjoys hosting undergraduate students. In her spare time, Tiwonge enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with her family.
