Franklin College Selected as the Host Site of Prestigious Indianapolis Prize Lecture
Franklin College will host one of the few lectures scheduled across the state as part of the Indianapolis Prize Lecture Series presented by the Indianapolis Zoo on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Branigin Room of the Napolitan Student Center.
The lecture is titled “A Global Conversation with Indianapolis Prize Winner, Lily-Arison René de Roland, Ph.D.”
A renowned conservationist, René de Roland is the Peregrine Fund’s national director of its Madagascar Program. He will share his journey from rediscovering species in Madagascar, thought to be extinct, to winning the Indianapolis Zoo’s Indianapolis Prize for his critical work. René de Roland will be joined by his colleague at the Peregrine Fund, Stéphanie Razakaratrimo, Ph.D., who will expand on how their collective work is having a positive impact on species in the wild.
René de Roland’s contribution to the discovery of a variety of species is substantial, including the rediscovery of the Madagascar pochard, a rare duck thought to be extinct since the 1990s. He and his team rediscovered the species during a challenging expedition to a remote area of northern Madagascar in 2006. René de Roland has also contributed to the discovery of two previously undescribed lemur species in northern Madagascar. Due to his extensive impact on biodiversity conservation, scientists named a newly described wolf spider, Katableps lilyarisoni, after René de Roland in 2021. Most recently, during a 2022 expedition, René de Roland led a team to the rediscovery of the Dusky tetraka, a small songbird that had eluded ornithologists for 20 years.
René de Roland has led the creation of four national protected areas in Madagascar totaling over 1,500 square miles, including rainforests, dry forests, wetlands, mangroves and savannahs. These efforts not only preserve endemic Madagascar species under threat but also improve the lives of local people, with whom René de Roland works to manage these areas and sustainably leverage their resources.
Through his work, René de Roland has also helped to shape the next generation of Malagasy conservationists. His legacy extends to more than 100 students at local Madagascar universities, with his mentees earning 90 master’s degrees and 16 doctoral degrees.
René de Roland earned his master’s degree, doctoral degree and professorship at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar. He joined The Peregrine Fund as a student in 1992 to study Madagascar’s imperiled raptors.
Established by the Indianapolis Zoo in 2004, the Indianapolis Prize recognizes and rewards the world’s preeminent animal conservationists who have achieved major victories in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or group of species. Winners receive $250,000, which is the largest individual monetary award given in the animal conservation field.
The lecture is free, but registration is appreciated at bit.ly/IndyPrize2025.
Visit IndianapolisPrize.org to learn more about the Indianapolis Prize initiative and Lily-Arison René de Roland, Ph.D.