Sowry receives 2024 CANR Distinguished Service Award
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EmailTheresa Sowry will receive the 2024 CANR Distinguished Service Award during the annual ANR Awards on Friday, March 1.
Theresa Sowry, of Hoedspruit, South Africa, will receive the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Distinguished Service Award at the March 1 ANR Awards Program.
The CANR Distinguished Service Award honors individuals or partners who have made outstanding contributions to Michigan’s agriculture and natural resources industries, and who possess high standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the prestige of the college.
Sowry is currently the executive manager and CEO of the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), an accredited higher education and training institution founded in 1996 in Hoedspruit, South Africa, that has trained over 23,000 conservationists across various disciplines. She earned bachelor's degrees in botany and zoology and a master’s degree in botany from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Before joining the SAWC, she gained conservation experience while employed by South African National Parks working on their rare antelope program in the Kruger National Park. She started at the SAWC as a training manager and lecturer in natural resource management, working her way up to being promoted CEO in 2011.
As CEO, Sowry is responsible for driving the SAWC business plan and overseeing the management of all college activities, ensuring the college acquires all relevant accreditation and maintains its recognition as a Southern African Development Community (SADC) center of excellence and representing the SAWC at meetings, workshops and conferences in South Africa and around the world.
During her time at the SAWC, Sowry has actively built collaborative partnerships with MSU, CANR and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Since 2003, this partnership has created opportunities for hundreds of MSU students, as well as faculty and staff, to experience Africa's remarkable wildlife while engaging in impactful conservation research and training efforts. Due to Sowry’s engagement and outreach, the SAWC is considered a satellite MSU campus and is a model for many other university programs looking to expand programs in the region.
In addition to these impactful partnerships with MSU, other leading universities and international conservation organizations, the SAWC has continued to grow and succeed under Sowry’s leadership, addressing conservation challenges through dynamic and innovative programs. She spearheaded the creation of a K9 unit at the SAWC, which has proven to be an effective anti-poaching tool. Her efforts have contributed to the development of the SAWC's groundbreaking three-year diploma in applied natural resource management and led to the creation of the Junior Leadership program at the SAWC. She has also played a critical role in strengthening the college’s financial sustainability by diversifying revenue streams, developing multi-partner collaborations and securing additional donor and endowment support.
Throughout her career, Sowry has received numerous awards and recognitions for her professional accomplishments and public service. In 2022, she was named one of the 14 inspirational women in conservation across Africa by Gateway Magazine, as well as receiving a bronze medal from the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) for Outstanding Contribution to Conservation Outreach. Sowry is also a qualified Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) pilot and volunteers a significant amount of her time flying patrol flights, gathering data used to enhance rhino protection and conservation efforts. These efforts have been successful in creating the most current rhino data set for the greater Kruger National Park. Her work has also been instrumental in the ongoing fight to protect rhino populations throughout South Africa.
Sowry has been married for over 22 years to a game ranger that shares her passion and dedication to addressing the ever-changing needs of the conservation industry.
