TBA Alumnus Beatrice Mukami Shines

TBA Alumnus Beatrice Mukami shines with Best Female Student Oral Presentation Award

“Winning the Best Female Student Oral Presentation Award at the 2nd Joint International Scientific Conference, at the National Museums of Kenya, was both exciting and humbling,” says Beatrice. “It is a proud milestone in my academic journey and a reminder of how much I have grown as a young conservation researcher. The training opportunities I have received from Tropical Biology Association in recent years have played a big role in building my skills and confidence, and this award reflects that journey.”

Beatrice’s award-winning presentation showcased her work where she digitised and validated over 50,000 invertebrate specimen records, and published them through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The digitised records are also being used to develop training datasets for machine learning models that support Automated Monitoring of Insects (AMI) in Africa, a project supported by the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) and UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH). Her work is making valuable biodiversity data held in museums more accessible for research and conservation.

Beatrice credits the TBA Ecology Masterclass she attended , held in partnership with the British Ecological Society, with helping her develop practical skills in scientific writing and communication. “One lesson that stayed with me was to think about my audience and tell my story in simple language,” she says.

Another learning milestone for her was attending a TBA-led workshop on technology for biodiversity monitoring, which strengthened her understanding of how technology can support conservation.

“I am deeply grateful to TBA for investing in me and creating opportunities to learn and apply new skills,” says Beatrice. “The knowledge, confidence and networks I have gained have prepared me to contribute meaningfully to conservation research in Kenya and across Africa. I am proud to be part of TBA’s next generation of conservation scientists.”

The conference, themed Harnessing Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage for Economic Transformation, was hosted by the National Museums of Kenya, the Association of Kenyan Entomologists, and Sino Africa Joint Research Center from 8–12 June 2026, in Nairobi.

The Ecology Masterclass was held at the Mpala Research Centre.