Stony Brook University doctoral student Florence Aghomo has been awarded the Young Women in Conservation Biology Award by the Society for Conservation Biology Africa Region. Aghomo is a member of the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences and is affiliated with the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments. Her work is supervised by Professor Patricia C. Wright at Stony Brook.
The award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to conservation efforts. Since June 2019, Aghomo has coordinated the Red Colobus Conservation Network project under several international organizations, including the Primates Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission and Re:wild. Her responsibilities include managing collaborations, fundraising, and organizing meetings with conservation partners.
Aghomo's previous research focused on studying endangered Red colobus monkeys in Cameroon’s Korup National Park. She described these primates as "special" due to their role as indicators of ecosystem health.
In 2020, Aghomo helped establish the Cameroon Primatological Society and organized its initial general assemblies. She also founded a Language and Environmental Center in Madagascar through her foundation Flor’Afrique to support education and conservation efforts.
Professor Wright praised Aghomo's dedication, stating: “Florence is a conservation hero, who has already made an incredible difference in saving wildlife in Africa."
The Young Women in Conservation Biology Working Group was formed by SCB's Africa Region to address gender gaps in conservation science and provide mentorship opportunities for early-career African female biologists.