T. Pullaiah, PhD , is a former Professor in the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he has taught for more than 35 years. He has held several positions at the university, including Dean, Faculty of Biosciences; Head of the Department of Botany; Head of the Department of Biotechnology; and member of the Academic Senate. He was President of the Indian Botanical Society (2014), President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (2013), and Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. Under his guidance, over 50 students obtained their doctoral degrees. He has authored over 70 books, edited over 40 books, and published over 340 research papers, including reviews and book chapters. His books include Redsanders: Silviculture and Conservation (Springer), Genetically Modified Crops (Springer), Sandalwood: Silviculture, Conservation and Applications (Springer), Advances in Cell and Molecular Diagnostics (Elsevier), Camptothecin and Camptothecin Producing Plants (Elsevier), Paclitaxel (Elsevier), Monograph on Brachystelma and Ceropegia in India (CRC Press), Ethnobotany of India (5 volumes, Apple Academic Press), Global Biodiversity (4 volumes, Apple Academic Press), and Invasive Alien Species (4 volumes, Wiley Blackwell). He was also a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Professor Pullaiah received his PhD from Andhra University, India, attended Moscow State University, Russia, and worked as postdoctoral fellow during 1976-1978. Ally J. K. Nkwabi, PhD , is a National Coordinator for the International Waterbird Census (IWC) in Tanzania. His early research focused on the ecology of fauna and flora, human-wildlife conflict as well as assessing biodiversity in different wetlands. After completing his PhD, Dr. Nkwabi served as Principal Research Officer at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI). He has published 18 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 15 book chapters, and one book: Birds of Western Tanzania (Gombe, Mahale, Rubondo, Saanane, Malagarasi, Ntakata, Minziro), Doohyun Publishing Co.

, National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), Korea. Dr. Nkwabi is a member of the AEWA Grey Crowned Crane International Working Group (AEWA-GCCIW). He is also a national coordinator for the International Waterbird Census (IWC) in Tanzania. He earned his BSc, MSc, and PhD at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.