Prof Rob Slotow is a Full Professor at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and Honorary Full Professor at University College, London. Rob is co-Chair of the IUCN SSC African Elephant Specialist Group. Rob served as a UKZN Executive for 8 years, as DVC Agriculture, Engineering and Science, and then as DVC Health Sciences. Rob focuses on applied research translatable into practical solutions and builds system capacity, training 55 Postgrads, and running interactive workshops with practitioners. He researches the conservation of large mammals, land-use planning for environmental sustainability, and environmental contribution to achieving SDGs. Rob leads large, transdisciplinary projects, including the Durban Research Action Partnership, with Ethekwini Municipality (DRAP), and the Wellcome funded Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems project (SHEFS). DRAP undertakes co-developed, co-implemented work to enhance sustainable environmental decision-making, and development decisions in the face of climate change. SHEFS examines agriculture, environment, poverty, and health nexus, focusing on resource-poor communities in rural, per-urban, and informal urban settings around Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Rob developed a relevant research programme, with a positive impact on society, and which draws emerging researchers into developing cross-sectoral translational research that influences and impacts policy and practice, for improvement of human wellbeing.
