Meet Sefuiva Moeumu Uili.
Sefuiva Moeumu Uili is 36 years old and from the village of Levi – Saleimoa, Poutasi, Lefagoalii and Sili. She graduated from the National University of Samoa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (2007) and also from the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji with a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Studies (2011). She is a former employee of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) working as a Principal Parks and Reserves Officer under the Division of Environment and Conservation.
“My passion follows conservation of species and ecosystems with years of field experimentation and connecting with communities on projects that not only support and maintains the health of ecosystems, population and species but also contributes to sustaining the livelihoods of our people. This year I am taking a step back from my career with the government to pursue a Master’s degree in Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University with funding support from a Fulbright Scholarship award I was fortunate to receive for 2021-2022. My research is on the conservation of our national bird Manumea (tooth-billed pigeon, Didunculus strigirostris) which is not only rare but also listed as critically endangered in the world’s list of endangered species. Currently, I am working on this research project under the support and leadership of the Samoa Conservation Society with a number of conservation partners such as the Auckland Zoo, BirdLife International and MNRE. We are looking for more support in terms of funding, expertise and if you wish to volunteer for the field search, please let us know. Let’s do what we can to protect and save our Samoan birds and its habitats from extinction.”
“I would like to acknowledge the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the support, and also the kind assistance of the U.S. Embassy and everyone who believes in this work, and that it can be a success. There is a wealth of knowledge that I look forward to learning, from this experience with Fulbright and I’m willing to make a change for our endangered biodiversity and for our communities. Thank you to my family and my parents for all the support.”
Congratulations Sefuiva Moeumu Uili. We wish you all the best with your studies.
For more information about the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, email educationusasamoa@state.gov or click on the link https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/.
