Biography of Professor Michael Samways – Stellenbosch University
Insect conservation plays a critical role in the overall process of environmental management.
Professor Michael Samways has dedicated his research to the study of invertebrate
conservation, both on land and in water, covering important areas such as assessing
impacts, migration, and identifying bioindicators of both environmental degradation and
restoration.
Prof. Samways obtained his PhD in entomology from the University of London, and has held
a number of positions over the span of his career such as Research Fellow for the Inner
London Education Authority, Chief Entomologist for Perifleur Ltd and the Outspan Citrus
Centre, and Senior Professional Officer at the Citrus and Sub-Tropical Fruit Research
Institute. He was also the Visiting Professor in Entomology at Escola Superior de Agricultura
de Lavras in Brazil, and Director of the Invertebrate Conservation Research Centre at the
then University of Natal (University of KwaZulu-Natal). He is currently Departmental Chair at
Stellenbosch University.
Insect conservation has gained considerably in importance, to the point where it has been
mainstreamed into biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. One of the hallmarks
of Prof. Samways’ research has been to put conservation into practice through the
development of large scale ecological networks between researcher and the corporate
sector, in order to fast track conservation. His work has also drawn attention to questions
such as fragmentation and the removal of invasive alien plants. Through co-operative
research with Working for Water, he was able to demonstrate the massive impact of aliens
on indigenous biota and the recovery that can be achieved once alien species are removed.
In addition to receiving a number of scholarships, including two from the Government of
France and a competitive studentship from the British Council, Prof. Samways has been the
recipient of a number of awards including the John Herschel Medal from the Royal Society of
South Africa, the Senior Captain Scott Medal from the South African Academy of Arts and
Sciences, and the Gold Medal from the Academy of Science of South Africa. He also won
the Stellenbosch University Rector’s Award for Research Excellence twice.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a
member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and has regularly undertaken
international grant, project and promotion assessments for the Universities of California and
Uppsala. He serves on the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC), is the Chair of the IUCN/SSC
Invertebrate Conservation Sub-Committee, the President Elect of the International
Orthopterists’ Society, and a regular contributor to local and international symposia. He has
also served on the Editorial Boards of various journals such as Conservation Biology, and
Biodiversity and Conservation.
Besides his research work, Prof. Samways has supervised 35 Master’s students and 17 PhD
students, with another two MSc and one PhD under examination. He has published more
than 240 research papers, 51 book chapters, authored/co-authored seven books, and coedited four books and special issues. His work has appeared in publications such as
Zootaxa, African Entomology, and the International Journal of Odonatology. His work has
attracted well over 3 000 citations, and his book Insect Diversity Conservation is widely cited
and used as reference and text book.