Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE)

The Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments is dedicated to science-based conservation and research in the tropics with a special focus on Madagascar. It was founded and is directed by Dr Patricia Wright. ICTE coordinates the work of many natural and social scientists throughout Madagascar but has particular interest in the area around Ranomafana National Park where together with Stony Brook University (SBU) it established the Centre ValBio (CVB), a center for interdisciplinary research and conservation efforts in one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. CVB operates as a research and conservation arm of SBU, collaborating closely with its faculty and students. SBU faculty members alongside researchers from top universities, NGOs and institutes around the world, actively engage in research projects at CVB, leveraging the unique biodiversity of Madagascar for scientific exploration. This partnership exemplifies a successful model of academia working hand-in-hand with field-based research centers to address pressing environmental issues. Shin Shin Hsia is the Chief Operating Officer at CVB, Dr. Benjamin Andriamihaja is ICTE′s Madagascar National Representative, and Patricia Paladines is the ICTE/CVB Program Coordinator at SBU. ICTE organizes Study Abroad Field Courses every winter,  summer and fall semester.