George Schaller As Vice-President of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Science and Exploration Program and holder of the Ella Millbank Foshay Chair in Wildlife Conservation, Dr. George Schaller spends most of his time in the field. Born in 1933, Dr. Schaller attended universities in Alaska and Wisconsin, earning his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin. Spending most of the past 50 years in the wilds of Asia, Africa, and South America, Dr. Schaller has studied and helped protect animals as diverse as the mountain gorilla, the giant panda, the tiger, the lion, and the wild sheep and goats of the Himalayas.  George Schaller's studies have been the basis for his numerous scientific and popular writings. The winner of several awards, including the National Book award, his 15 books include The Serengeti Lion, Stones of Silence, The Year of the Gorilla, and The Last Panda. For the past decade, Dr. Schaller has studied wildlife mainly in Mongolia, Laos, and the Tibetan Plateau of China. Two of his most recent books are Tibet's Hidden Wilderness and Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe. His numerous national and international awards for conservation include the International Cosmos Prize (Japan) and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (USA). Dr. Schaller is now working primarily in Iran and Tajikistan.