December 14, 2020 3 min read Renowned paleoanthropologist and conservationist Richard E. Leakey, a professor in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and chair of the Turkana Basin Institute (TBI), was recently inducted as an honorary fellow into the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). Leakey’s discovery of the Turkana Boy in Kenya was a groundbreaking contribution to the field of evolutionary biology. Photo: Courtesy of Turkana Basin Institute Leakey has devoted the majority of his life to research on human origins, conservation of wildlife and public service. Soon after Kenya’s independence, Leakey was appointed as the first director of Kenya’s National Museums. In 1989 he became director of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Department, which became known as the Kenya Wildlife Service. As first chairman of Kenya Wildlife Service, he reorganized the country’s national park systems and dramatically reduced poaching levels. Leakey later served as a member of Parliament in Kenya and then head of the Public Service and secretary to the Cabinet.