Dr. Krithi K. Karanth is the Chief Conservation Scientist and Director at the Centre for Wildlife Studies and Adjunct Faculty at Duke and National Centre for Biological Sciences. Her research in India and Asia spans 24 years and encompasses many issues in the human dimensions of wildlife conservation. She has conducted macro-level studies assessing patterns of species distributions and extinctions, impacts of wildlife tourism, consequences of voluntary resettlement, land use change, and understanding human-wildlife interactions.

As a scientist, Krithi has published over 100 scientific and popular articles, served on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Ecology and Environment, Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Conservation Biology, and Conservation Letters, mentored over 250 young scientists from India, US, Chile, UK, Australia and Indonesia, and engaged over 750 citizen science volunteers in her research and conservation projects. As a conservationist, she has designed Wild Seve, Wild Shaale, Wild Surakshe and Adopt a PHC programs.

As a storyteller, Krithi has collaborated with painters, illustrators, film-makers, and photographers. Krithi’s conservation and research work has been featured in 3 award-winning BBC Series – The Hunt, Big Cats, and Dynasties, and in documentaries by CBC and PBS. She has co-produced five documentaries: Wild Seve, Humane Highways, Wild Shaale, Flying Elephants and Wild Surakshe. In 2020 she co-starred with Kevin Pietersen in Save This Rhino: India by Disney Hotstar and National Geographic. She has written a bilingual children’s book with artist Raghava K.K. and is actively working on various other collaborations with artists.

Krithi is National Geographic Society’s 10,000th grantee and a 2012 Emerging Explorer. Her more than 45 awards and recognitions include the Eisenhower Fellowship, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, University of Florida’s Outstanding Young Alumnus, INK Fellow, India’s Power Women by Femina, Women of the Year by Elle India, Vogue Women of the Year and Seattle Zoo’s Thrive Conservation Leadership Award. In 2019, she received the GQ Man of the Year-Environmental Hero, Beyond Duke University Alumni Award for Service and Leadership, and the Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureates. In 2021, she became the first Indian and Asian woman to be chosen for the Wild Innovator Award and was also selected for the 2021 Aspen Ananta Fellowship and Government of India’s Invest India Women Achiever. In 2022, she won the ‘Varshada Kannadiga’ (Kannadiga of the year) award for her contributions to science and technology. Krithi has a Ph.D in Environmental Science from Duke, a M.E.Sc from Yale, and BS and BA degrees from the University of Florida.