CERS STAFF

Greater China

	Dr. William Bleisch Research/Program Director Bill is a Field Biologist with long years of experience in China, once serving as Residence Advisor for China’s Forestry Ministry. With degrees from Harvard, Rockefeller and Post Doc at Caltech, Dr Bleisch began working in China in 1987 and have held key positions with Wildlife Conservation Society, Flora and Fauna International, and The Bridge Fund. He has been involved with CERS since its inception in 1986.
	Brenda Kan Office Manager Brenda works at CERS Hong Kong office. She is responsible for human resources matters, connecting with CERS remote staff in China and other locations, taking care of travel arrangements, translation, archiving CERS slides materials and other general office duties.
	Natalie Lai Filmmaker/ Archivist With a background in video productions and communications, Natalie records and makes films for our expeditions and projects. She also manages the CERS film archive.
	Xavier Lee Filmmaker Xavier has been making films for a number of years, of significance for Action Star Jackie Chan in recording his many off screen activities and charity functions. Xavier has been on a number of CERS expeditions as a filmmaker, both in China and in Myanmar.
	Tracy Man Financial Controller Tracy Man is CERS accountant and she is responsible for keeping control over financial records and all fiscal reports.
	Berry Sin Logistics Director Berry Sin is Logistics Director for CERS and has been working for the Society since 1997. She is in charge of all behind the scene preparations and implementation of expeditions and projects, as well as managing of travel itinerary of staff, guests and student interns. Berry also takes care of CERS home front from lectures, publications to supporter relationship, functions, events and annual dinners.
	Zhang Fan China Director Zhang Fan is CERS China Director, having been involved with CERS since 1990. Zhang also serves as Director of Yunnan University’s Institute of Geography. He is a biologist by training, specializing in birds and also a frequent caver. Zhang acted as How Man’s special assistant in China for many years.
	Cao Zhongyu Logistics Support Cao Zhongyu has been working for CERS since 1993 and has been involved in expeditions as well as conservation projects. His specialty is field logistics, support service in filming, management and maintenance of CERS fleet of vehicles for field use.
	Li Na Kunming Admin. Officer/Project Manager Li Na has been a long-time office assistant of CERS offices in Kunming, managing all travels and hospitality for staff and guests who travel through Yunnan. She also conducts liaison with other CERS associates within China.
	Zhou Chen Su Caving & Mapping Expert Zhou Chen Su is a professional caving and mapping expert who also has many years of experience in outdoor activities such as rock climbing, cycling, and drifting. He is a registered rock-climbing coach for Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA), Caving and Mapping teacher for the Guizhou Caving School, associate cartographer for the Orienteering Association of China (OAC), research assistant for the Cave Research Center at Yunnan Institute of Geography at Yunnan University and assistant of Lava Research Center. Zhou Chen Su first joined CERS as volunteer for our Education Program in 2007 and has since worked as a full staff member with CERS.
	Tsering Drolma Vice-Director Zhongdian Center/Education Coordinator Tsering Drolma is a graduate of Duke University with a BA in sociology and a certificate in markets and management. She joined CERS in June 2012 as the education coordinator. For her role as the education coordinator she designs and leads the CERS summer education program. She is passionate about cultural exploration/exchange and experiential education.
	Tsomo Jyid Program Coordinator and Logistic Support Tsomo first came to CERS in 2015 when she graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Human Geography and Environmental Studies. During her school years, she had travelled broadly to South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia to learn the intersect of community development and environmental conservation. Before returning to CERS in 2020, Tsomo had two startup experiences---a locally run women’s dairy cattle farming cooperative in Qinghai Province and a management consulting company that provides business service for Tibetan enterprises in Southeast China. At CERS, Tsomo serves as the program coordinator, archival research and logistic support for our education program and expeditions.
	Zhashi Choma Field Staff Zhashi Choma is one of our longest serving Tibetan staff, joining CERS shortly after our Zhongdian Center was completed in late 2002. She came from Gongbin Village where our Center was located. Her duty is logistic and back-end support, and at times acted as our interpreter when dealing with villagers.

Laos

Mr. Airkhun Khamvongxay
Lao Office Manager

Mr Airkun has training in accounting, and he previously studied to be a teacher. He also worked as an assistant trekking guide for eco tours in Luang Namtha. A native of Luang Namtha Lao. Mr Air speaks English, Lao, Thai and his native Khmu.

Ladasone Phompunya
CERS Office Assistant

Ladasone joined CERS team in Laos, 2019. Lada is a native of Luang Namtha Province, one of the northernmost provinces of Lao PDR that borders China. She grew up in the village of Ban Tha Sae, deep inside the Namha National Protected Area. Lada began studying English while in high school at the Luang Namtha Teacher Training College, and continued her studies as she went on to get her degree in International Business Management at Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang. In addition to Lao and English, Lada also speaks Khmu, Thai and a bit of Sam Tao, an endangered language.

Chan Deang Souliya
Programme Manager for Lao PDR

Chan Deang Souliya studied business and English in college and worked for 6 years as a trekking guide. Perhaps his most important training, however, was that which he received, as a child, from his grandfather while on extended hunting trips in the forests of northern Lao.

Myanmar

Ei Thantar Myint Sandra
Country Manager, Myanmar

Ei Thantar Myint Sandra received her undergraduate degree from Myanmar's National Management College and her MBA from Assumption University in Thailand. She has worked for an international oil company. In her current capacity with CERS, she is in charge of administration of CERS activities and project sites, as well as managing cultural heritage projects.

Su Hlaing Myint
Field Biologist, Myanmar

Su Hlaing Myint, CERS Field Biologist in Myanmar, took her Master’s degree at Mandalay University. Her research has been focused on freshwater fish and communities related to fishery along the Irrawaddy River.

ASSOCIATES

	Aung Myo Chit Aung is a biologist from Myanmar with many years of field experience in particular with fish, reptiles, birds, bats and large mammals, including dolphins and elephants. Aung has advanced degrees from UC Davis and James Cook University Australia, and is advising grad students of Yangon and Mandalay Universities.
	Katia Buffetrille Katia Buffetrille is an Antropologist, research fellow at the École pratique des Hautes Études (Sorbonne) in Paris. Her main interests are directed to the study of « popular » rituals, mainly pilgrimages around sacred mountains and rituals to local deities. She has written and edited several books and has published many articles.
	Chu Hongjun, PhD Research Associate Chu Hongjun serves as Director of the Forestry Bureau of Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang. Chu has been associated with CERS since 2003. Earning his Ph.D. at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009, Chu Hongjun's doctoral dissertation concerns a comprehensive study of the Mongolian Wild Ass. Chu Hongjun has collaborated with CERS on the research and conservation of the Asiatic Beaver, Argali Big Horn Sheep, and Ibex of Northern Xinjiang.
	Chris Dickinson Filmmaker Chris is founder of Wildlife Asia, with emphasis on filming wildlife and conservation films. A UK national with over 20 years industry experience, he is based in Singapore and travels throughout the region on assignments for such companies as CNN, Discovery and National Geographic. Chris has made several documentary films for CERS and continues to contribute to our film archive.
	Cathy Hilborn Feng Newsletter Editor Cathy has been CERS newsletter editor since the first issue was published in 1997. She is originally from Canada but has made Hong Kong her home for over 16 years. Formerly an editor for the Far Eastern Economic Review, Cathy is now the English editor of the Hong Kong government's news website, news.gov.hk. She is also Chairwoman of the SPCA (HK).
	Gen Wei Speleologist Gen is an expert in diving and has done many inland lake dives within China. In many cases, he performed such duties as a government expert in underwater retrieval efforts. He has helped relocate crashed and submerged airplanes under the lakes of Yunnan, and is often involved in CERS expeditions.
	Hwang Eufung Field Hospitality Eufung is originally from Taiwan but has spent long years in the US in interior design and real estate. She now makes Yunnan her home and often assists in entertaining CERS guests to the region. Eufung is also a connoisseur in food and regularly prepares specialty Chinese-Tibetan-Western fusion cuisine.
	Lau Pok-chi Lau retired in 2013 as professor of photography at the University of Kansas School of Fine Arts. His teaching career spans three decades at the university with his photographic work and exhibitions focused on many overseas Chinese communities. He joins CERS as Associate beginning December 2013 and collaborates with us on documenting Chinese communities in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian locations.
	Liu Hong Speleologist Liu Hong has been involved with CERS since the mid 1990s. Formerly a key member of our Hanging Coffin conservation team, now Liu focuses on caving activities in southern China. He also collaborates with a number of foreign caving groups, in particular those from the UK, France and Slovenia.
	Luo Sang Choma Cheese-maker Choma is Tibetan and has been associated with CERS since 2004 when the Society launched the Yak Cheese Experimental Project. She is now proprietor of the Yak Cheese Factory in Longdu near Shangri-la and continues to work closely with CERS, including hosting guests of the Society who travel to the area.
	Ranee May Ranee May, retired University of Wisconsin – River Falls faculty associates in the Animal and Food Science Dept. specializing in Dairy Foods. She has taught farmstead and artisanal cheese making for over 30 years. In conjunction with CERS, Ranee pioneered the CERS Experimental Yak Cheese Project which is now in full production as a social enterprise in Shangri-la China.
	Song Haokun Associate Song is a long-term research associate with CERS specializing in rural economics. He is also a researcher of the Institute of Geography at Yunnan University. Song has written many reports on behalf of CERS and has traveled with the organization to remote villages for data collecting.
	Martin Ruzek Earth System Scientist Martin was former NASA scientist and Jet Propulsion Lab researcher. He has been involved with CERS since its inception in 1986 in assisting in all our remote sensing and earth science system needs. Martin was crucial in helping CERS define all three river sources, the Yangtze, Mekong and Yellow River.
	Wang Chi Hong Associate Wang Chih Hong is from Taiwan and has been involved with CERS in field expeditions since 1990. Wang is Editor in Chief of Taiwan’s Rhythms Magazine and often publishes his work with CERS. He further hosts a TV program with the Dai Ai Cable Channel and has collaborated with CERS a number of times in presenting the Society’s work.
	Prof. Yu Shuenn-Der Associate Prof. Yu is a Research Fellow of the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica in Taiwan. He acquired his PhD in Anthropology from the University of California at Davis in 1995 and have since conducted his field research and publications on Taiwan and China’s Tibetan region. His focus is economic and history in anthropology. He is a frequent visitor at our Zhongdian Center.