Assam Conservationist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman Brings Hargila Army Model to Cornell

Guwahati: Dr. Purnima Devi Barman is currently at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The wildlife biologist is participating in academic sessions and scientific engagements to share her work with the Hargila Army. She has already addressed 60 MBA students and held talks at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology regarding the Greater Adjutant Stork.

Barman expects to highlight her community model during an October 7 public lecture at the College of Veterinary Medicine. She appears as part of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Distinguished Speaker Series. Her lecture is titled "A Global Conservation Leader Coming to Cornell: Dr. Purnima Devi Barman."

The visit supports a wider collaboration between Cornell and partners in Assam and Bangladesh. This program combines wildlife medicine, diagnostic techniques, and mortality investigations. Experts are studying risks from environmental toxins and diseases affecting threatened avian scavengers. The initiative provides training for young veterinarians and researchers in India.

Barman leads the Hargila Army, a group of rural women who protect the Greater Adjutant. Her efforts transformed local attitudes toward the bird. She now brings these lessons on women's empowerment and conservation to an international audience. The exchange centers on sustainability, ornithology, and veterinary science.