
UW Alum Teaches and Researches Global Biodiversity, Inspiring Curiosity and Conservation
Nina Zitani has discovered and named 15 insect species previously unknown to science. Fellow entomologists have named another nine newly discovered species in her honor.
A renowned scientist and educator, Zitani has led or co-led more than 30 expeditions to remote areas of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. She’s collected and scrutinized thousands of entomological research specimens, led field courses in the Amazon rainforest, and served as a biodiversity expert for 18 Smithsonian Journeys, including an “Around the World by Private Jet” program.





