Professor Devaka Weerakoon

Professor Devaka Weerakoon serves as Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences at the University of Colombo, where he has built an extraordinary career spanning over three decades. After completing his Ph.D. in Biological Science from Illinois State University, where he earned multiple honors including the Fulbright Fellowship and American Heart Association Fellowship, he has established himself as a leading expert in conservation biology, sustainable development, and human-wildlife conflict management. His research portfolio includes groundbreaking work on Asian elephant ecology, biodiversity conservation, and invasive species management, with significant publications on human-elephant conflict mitigation and wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka. Beyond academia, he has served as a key consultant for IUCN, both as Coordinator of Biodiversity and Ecosystems at IUCN Sri Lanka and as Biodiversity Specialist at IUCN Asia Regional Office, while maintaining an active role in training professionals in red listing, land use planning, and disaster risk management. His teaching excellence spans both traditional and innovative approaches, including early adoption of distance learning technologies and blended learning methodologies, demonstrating his commitment to advancing environmental education and conservation science.