Stony Brook Experts

Cortni Borgerson is a Professor of Anthropology, Associate Director of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments and Centre ValBio, and a National Geographic Explorer. She works to protect Madagascar's endangered lemurs by teaming up with the people who live alongside them. She studies why families hunt lemurs or clear forests, then works with them build better options, including farming plump native insects that tastes like bacon or pressing wild seeds into rich frying oils for a sustainable (and tasty) future. Her approach has quadrupled lemur numbers at her partner sites while easing hunger, and it now shapes conservation policy across Madagascar. Her research has been featured by The New York Times, National Geographic, NPR, BBC, Animal Planet, BBC, all national news networks and more!