Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Dr. Neeti Bathala is an accomplished academic and educator based in the Philadelphia region, specializing in ecology and environmental science instruction, field-based curricula, and study abroad programs in higher education. Trained as an ecologist, she has contributed to numerous conservation projects both locally and globally. Dr. Bathala holds degrees from Rutgers University (B.S.), Temple University (M.A.), Duke University (M.E.M.), and the University of Georgia (Ph.D.). She has also participated in National Science Foundation (NSF) post-doctoral Chautauqua Field programs, where she studied biodiversity and marine ecosystems in Belize, Hawaii, and the Galápagos Islands. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, she teaches both undergraduate and adult learners.

Beginning in Fall 2024, Dr. Bathala will teach in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences at Drexel University, while continuing her role as an instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke University. In 2024, she was awarded a three-year Fulbright Specialist fellowship to serve as an international consultant in Environmental Science, focusing on how community partnerships contribute to marine conservation in small island nations.

During her graduate studies at Duke University, Dr. Bathala studied conservation biology in Costa Rica with the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). She has spent extensive time at biological research stations in Costa Rica and has volunteered with sea turtle conservation initiatives at Tortuguero National Park. Dr. Bathala has taught several marine ecology courses in the U.S. and led a study abroad program at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) in Honduras. She is a certified PADI SCUBA diver and has completed both day and nighttime dives in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans.

Dr. Bathala is passionate about making scientific exploration accessible and engaging for all. As an author, speaker, and educator, she actively promotes public education on environmental issues and is deeply committed to fostering STEM engagement, especially for women in the sciences. She serves on the Board of Advisors of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University and mentors students in Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment graduate program.