Dr. Jon Paul Rodríguez has been actively involved in the conservation of Venezuelan species and ecosystems since the late 1980s. After completing his biology studies at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, he co-founded Provita in 1987, a non-governmental organization dedicated to evidence-based conservation projects, including multiple editions of the Red Book of Venezuelan Fauna and the Red Book of Terrestrial Ecosystems of Venezuela. Following his graduation in 1991, he earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University in 1999 and a certificate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 2000. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, a professor at the Center for Ecology of the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), and remains active as the President of Provita. Jon Paul describes himself as a biologist focused on providing valuable information for conservation policy without being directly involved in politics. With over 230 publications, including books, chapters, and peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals, he is a recognized authority in his field.

In 2022, he was honoured with the inaugural “Wolfgang Kiessling Prize,” an annual award aimed at garnering global attention and support for outstanding achievements in the field of conservation practice, theory, and research, contributing significantly to humanity’s efforts and knowledge for the benefit of all life on Earth.