Rob Sheldon has been on OSME Council since 2009 and Chairman since 2013. A student placement researching Houbara Bustards at the National Avian Research Center, UAE, in 1995/96 inspired an interest in ornithological research and Middle Eastern conservation. Between 1999-2001, Rob undertook his PhD thesis on the breeding success and chick survival of the Northern Lapwing in arable landscapes. In 2002 he joined the RSPB, initially as an agricultural adviser, and subsequently moved on to the reserves ecology team before becoming the Head of International Species Recovery. Since 2005 Rob has worked on the conservation of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing which has involved substantial travel throughout Kazakhstan and many other countries across the OSME region. In 2014 Rob became the Director of the King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rob now works as a freelance conservation consultant.
You can contact Rob by email chairman AT osme.org