Natasha S. Ribeiro, was born and raised in Maputo, Mozambique on August 24th 1971. She holds a bachelors degree in Forest Engineering from the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Mozambique, a MSc. in Management and Conservation of Biodiversity from the Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Costa Rica and a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia (UVa) in the USA. Natasha has more than 20 years of professional experience in teaching, researching and extension in the field of forestry and forest fires ecology. She lectures Environmental Impact Assessment and Restoration Ecology at UEM and Ecosystem Services at the Technical University of Lisbon (PhD level). In research, Natasha has initiated a long-term fire-related research program in the Niassa National Reserve, one of the most important conservation areas in the country. The program has produced key results that are being used to update its management plan. She has been also coordinated other research activities throughout the country such as: forest ecosystem services and biodiversity assessments. Natasha has been appointed the coordinator of key missions in the country such as: the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation (NBSAP) and the design of EU Biodiversity Conservation Program for Mozambique. She was appointed to coordinate a EUMETcast receiving antenna hosted by UEM in the context of the regional project “Monitoring of the Environment for Security in Africa”. She is the regional coordinator of the Miombo Network of southern Africa. Natasha has received two awards during her academic years namely: the best bachelors student in Forest Engineering and the conservation award from the Department of Environmental Sciences, Uva as a PhD student. The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program will contribute to enhance her capacities to conduct/coordinate research and expand partnerships in the USA, which may result in concrete follow-up research actions. After completion of the exchange program, Natasha will use the experience to improve teaching and research methods in her institution contributing to its vision of being a university of reference nationally and internationally. She will also use the experience to improve the contribution of the Miombo Network to bridge the gap between science and policy making in the southern Africa.