Dr Tiwonge Mzumara-Gawa is a lecturer in the Biological Sciences Department at the Malawi University of Science and Technology. 

She holds a PhD in Ecological Sciences from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an MSc in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town. 

Dr Mzumara-Gawa is an energetic and passionate researcher teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She refers to herself as an ecologist by training and an activist by passion. 

She is the current National Chairperson for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) where she has served in various voluntary positions for nearly 20 years. She is also the Team Leader for the institutional consortium in Malawi that is leading the development of the field of Biodiversity Informatics. 

Her research interests are in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem ecology. She is passionate about biodiversity informatics and making sure that biodiversity data is easily accessible and informs decision making. 

At present, she is working on research in understanding the role of biodiversity in agriculture systems. She strongly believes in ensuring that the next generation of scientists are given opportunities to learn in the field and thus enjoys hosting undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping and spending time with her family.