Dr. Ted Lawrence is the Executive Director of the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education (ACARE)—leading work to ensure scientists from North America and African collaborate and share knowledge to protect freshwater large lakes around the world.

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He has been living, working, and researching in Africa for over 20 years. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, researching governance and management of large, multijurisdictional freshwater resources, specifically on Lake Victoria, East Africa and conducted comparative analysis of management approaches between African and North American lake systems.

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Based on his background and research, Ted and his colleagues formed the ACARE, a highly collaborative organization whose goals are to positively affect policy and management on Africa's Great Lakes by executing a long-term network of freshwater experts to strengthen science in Africa. He also spent 15 years as the Communications and Policy Specialist at the bi-national Canadian-U.S. Great Lakes Fishery Commission where many of the building blocks for successful collaboration are used to inform the processes on the African Great Lakes.