Ms. Chogyal Wangmo
Lecturer & Head of Department
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Ms. Chogyel Wangmo holds an MSc in Environment and Forests (2019) from AgroParisTech and the University of Lorraine, France, a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education (2017) from Samtse College of Education, Bhutan, and a BSc in Environmental Science (2013) from the Asian University of Women, Bangladesh. She joined the College of Natural Resources (CNR) in 2014 as and has served as Program Leader of the BSc Environment and Climate Studies from 2014-2017& 2020-2022. Currently, the Head of the Department, she is also a technical member of the Sustainable and Environmental Technical Committee at the Bhutan Standards Bureau. Ms. Wangmo is involved in climate resilience and environmental sustainability projects. Her research interests include mountain communities and climate change, indigenous knowledge and environmental management, environmental policies, forest resources and climate change adaptation. She also leads training for farmers, local leaders, field staff, and extension workers from various government agencies, supporting sustainable practices and enhancing climate resilience.
Mr. Sangay Tshering
Associate Lecturer & Programme Leader
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Mr. Sangay Tshering was recruited in the Royal Thimphu College in 2017 as Associate Lecturer prior to his recruitment in the College of Natural Resources under Royal University of Bhutan in 2018 as Lecturer. Mr Tshering served in the College in various capacities such as internship coordinator and programme leader for the Department of Environment and Climate Studies. He won research and capacity building projects funded by international organizations such as the International Foundation for Science (Sweden), Nagao Natural Environment Foundation (Japan), and Rufford Foundation (UK) projects. He is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Environment and Climate Studies in the College with a strong research focus on taxonomy. He has worked on the bats of Bhutan and also on carbon sequestration. He is currently working on the bat diversity of Bhutan and its associated zoonotic diseases. His passion in bats taxonomy has resulted in documenting several new species record for the country with a potential of new species to science from Bhutan. Besides the conventional morphometric approach, which is often inadequate, he uses molecular method in bat taxonomy.
Mr. Rinchen Dorji
Associate Lecturer & Programme Leader of PhD in Climate Studies
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Mr. Rinchen Dorji is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Environment and Climate Studies at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, where he teaches in the undergraduate programme. He holds an MSc in Natural Resource Management and a BSc in Forestry Science from the College of Natural Resources, Lobesa.
Building on his academic foundation, he has developed strong experience in academic leadership and programme management. He currently serves as the Programme Leader for the PhD in Climate Studies and Chair of the PhD Programme Committee. He is also an active member of the College Research Committee and College Academic Committee and has contributed to the successful completion of the first periodic review of the PhD programme. In addition, he has been involved in curriculum development, including designing modules such as Geomorphology, Geology, and Petrology for the upcoming BSc in Earth Science programme.
His professional experience is further strengthened through engagement in national-level projects and consultancy services, including environmental assessments, biodiversity studies, and participation in nationwide initiatives such as the Kigali HFC Implementation Plan. He has also contributed to stakeholder surveys, capacity-building workshops, and technical training programmes in research ethics, climate data utilization, and remote sensing applications. Beyond his teaching and administrative roles, he has an active research profile with publications in areas of aquatic biodiversity, fish ecology, and environmental risk assessment in Bhutan. His broader research interests include biodiversity and conservation, hydrology, natural resource economics, and climate change.
Dr. Om Katel
Lecturer
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Dr. Om Katel is a faculty member at the College of Natural resources, Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), Lobesa, Bhutan and a former Dean of Research and Industrial Linkages. In addition to teaching and research he is shouldering the responsibility as a head of the centre for Environment and Climate Research and a program leader for the PhD in Climate Studies program. Dr. Katel has 21 years of teaching experience, and he teaches courses on Environmental governance, Natural Resources Management, Climate Change Vulnerabilities and Adaptation, Integrated Watershed Management and Environmental Systems Analysis. He has been a visiting researcher at Nagoya University, Japan, since 2015. Dr Katel is an alumnus of Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES), Intensive program on Sustainability (IPoS); International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD); Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS); and South Asian Network for the Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE). Dr Katel is a focal person from RUB for Least Developed Countries University’s Consortium on Climate Change, RUB representative for SWISSnex India, and country’s representative to IPCC. Currently Dr Katel is post-doctoral research fellow at the Grassroots Institute Canada. Dr Katel’s research interests are wide and is interested in addressing Climate change adaptation and resilience in Mountains, Mountain Urbanization, Water resources management and dynamics of ecosystems linking climate change and development.
Dr. Ugyen Thinley
Assistant Professor
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Dr. Ugyen Thinley, Assistant Professor and Dean of Academic Affairs at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, has been associated with the institution since 1998. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in International Agriculture from Khon Kaen University, Thailand, in 2020, where he studied in research methods, statistics, spatial ecological modelling, and alien invasive species. During his M.Sc., he studied Land Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and Integrated Land Use Systems from the University of Ghent, Belgium, in 2002, producing a dissertation on Bhutan’s forest vegetation dynamics. His academic foundation began with a B.Sc. in Forestry (Honours) from Bangor University, UK, where he learned genetics, forest ecology, and economics, culminating in a project on European oak pruning methods. As a dedicated researcher and educator, Dr. Thinley has authored several publications and technical reports in climate science, environmental studies, and sustainable natural resource management. His professional development includes advanced training in remote sensing, GIS, and climate change assessment, reflecting his lifelong commitment to environmental research and education in Bhutan
Ms. Yogeeta Dahal
Lecturer
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Ms. Yogeeta Dahal was recruited in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) in 2018 as a faculty member in the Department of Environment and Climate Studies. She has served in the college in various capacities (Lecturer, Head of the Department, Programme leader, Internship coordinator). She is currently serving as the Programme leader of the BSc in Earth Science Programme. She holds MSc in Natural Resource Management by Research and BSc in Environmental Science with minor in Developmental Theory. Her research interest includes in the areas of environment pollution (waste management, microplastics, water quality, air pollution), Climate Change and Natural Resources.
Dr. Phub Dem
Associate Lecturer
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Mr. Namgay Rinchen
Associate Lecturer
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Mr. Namgay Rinchen was recruited in the Royal University of Bhutan in July, 2024 as Associate Lecturer, under the Department of Environment and Climate Studies, College of Natural Resources. He has his Bachelors degree of B.Sc. Life Science with Honours in Botany, from Sherubtse College. He pursued his MSc. in Forestry from FRIDU, Dehra Dun, India. He was also trained in studying glaciology for a semester, as part of MSc. in Environmental Science Specialization in Glaciology programme, Kathmandu University, Nepal. He worked on biodiversity assessments, home garden pollinators and ethnobotanical studies. He is currently working on modelling of endangered orchid species. He has also started to teach and work on geology and glaciology linked to Cryospheric study.
Ms. Rinchen Zangmo
Associate Lecturer
Department of Environment & Climate Studies
Ms. Rinchen Zangmo is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Environment and Climate Studies at the College of Natural Resources, where she teaches in the undergraduate programme. She holds an MSc in Ecology and Environment Studies from Nalanda University, India, and a BSc in Environmental Science from Sherubtse College. Building on her academic foundation, she has developed experience in curriculum development and academic leadership, having previously served as the Programme Leader and faculty for the BSc Geography programme, Elective tracks, and a member of the College Academic Committee at Sherubtse College. Her professional expertise is further enhanced through participation in national policy initiatives, including recent participation in Bhutan’s Clean Air Action Plan Workshop and her role as a member of the Kigali HFC Implementation Plan (KIP) project. Beyond her core responsibilities, she has contributed as a resource person for an international summer school programme. Her research interests are focused on environmental challenges, specifically Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation with an emphasis on human-wildlife conflict, Climate Change, Waste Management, and Bioenergy.