A biologist and international authority on environmental policy, Samper received a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, and master’s and PhD degrees in biology from Harvard University, where he was awarded the Derek Bok prize for excellence in teaching. He began his tenure as President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society on August 1, 2012. He joined WCS after serving for a decade as Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, the world’s largest natural history collection. At WCS, Dr. Samper leads the preeminent conservation organization with field programs in 65 nations and in all the world’s oceans; and oversees the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo, which welcome more than 4 million visitors annually.
As the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, he was responsible for the largest natural history collection in the world and a museum that welcomes more than 7 million visitors each year. Samper served as the Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian from March 2007 through June 2008, and was the first recipient of the Regents Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., he was deputy director and staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, the largest research facility for tropical biology, with emphasis on tropical forests and coral reefs. He serves on the boards of the American Association of Museums, The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Funds and the Board of Overseers of Harvard University.
