Dr. Laurie Marker Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Namibia’s National Commission on Research, Science and Technology

Windhoek, Namibia (April 4, 2026) Dr. Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), has been awarded the *Lifetime Achievement in Research Award* by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), the Namibian government body responsible for coordinating research and science activity nationwide.

The honor was presented at the National Research Excellence Awards ceremony, held at the Mercure Hotel in Windhoek. The awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to Namibia’s research, science, technology, and innovation ecosystem, bring together leaders from government, academia, and industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award represents the highest individual distinction of the evening. Dr. Marker was recognized not only for her conservation work, but for her broader contributions to building Namibia’s scientific infrastructure and advancing research across multiple disciplines.

Over the past 35 years, Dr. Marker has established one of the country’s most significant research institutions. What began as a single research effort has grown into the Cheetah Research & Education Center in Otjiwarongo, a multidisciplinary hub encompassing a genetics laboratory, ecological monitoring programs, veterinary research, biomass energy initiatives, and rangeland restoration. The center has trained generations of Namibian students and researchers and contributed extensively to peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Dr. Marker’s work in Namibia began in 1977, when she brought a captive-born cheetah from the United States to the country, known as the cheetah capital, and successfully taught it to hunt as part of pioneering research. She returned permanently in 1990 to establish CCF on a 156,000-acre private wildlife reserve. Today, the organization is recognized globally as a model for integrated conservation, research, and education.

The evening also honored leading researchers from the University of Namibia and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), both long-standing partners of CCF. Many students from these institutions have trained at the center in fields including ecology, genetics, veterinary science, and agriculture. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Dino Ballotti, along with senior representatives from across Namibia’s academic and scientific communities.

The return of the awards program after a lengthy hiatus underscored the significance of the recognition. “This award belongs to every person who has worked at CCF, trained at CCF, or partnered with CCF over the past three decades,” said Dr. Marker.

About Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)
Founded in 1990 by Dr. Laurie Marker, CCF is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs and is dedicated to saving the species in the wild. Headquartered in Namibia, CCF works across science, education, and community engagement to develop long-term, sustainable solutions for cheetah conservation.