Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Dr. Oris Sanjur is the deputy director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, supporting scientists, staff, and research facilities throughout Panama and field sites in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Her relationship with STRI spans three decades, beginning when she was a research assistant in 1989. She returned as a postdoctoral fellow in 1998 after completing her PhD in biology at Rutgers University. Since then, Oris has served in a variety of research and administration roles, and was the interim director at STRI in 2020. She has represented STRI worldwide, highlighting the value of science and the importance of the research being conducted at STRI to increase our understanding of tropical ecosystems.

Oris has published dozens of scientific articles, presented more than 20 papers at scientific meetings, and served as a mentor to more than 100 undergraduate and predoctoral students from various countries. In 2013, she was selected as one of the 10 pioneering women in science in Panama. She was honored as “Distinguished Woman of the Year 2015” by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives, and in 2020 was named one of the most powerful women in Central America by Forbes magazine. She is currently helping to spearhead a three-year program with Global Sustainability Scholars that provides a research experience for underrepresented minorities.