WOMEN OF DISCOVERY AWARDS GALA
The WINGS Women of Discovery Awards were established in 2003 to recognize extraordinary women making significant contributions to world knowledge and science through exploration. This year, we are celebrating 20 years of WINGS, 100 Fellows, and 100 Flag Carriers. It will be a reunion of Fellows and Flag Carriers from all over the globe that you won’t want to miss!
Join us October 12, 2023 in NYC at 583 Park Avenue for a truly unforgettable evening honoring our five pioneering 2023 Women of Discovery, their groundbreaking work, and their unceasing quest to build a better world for us all.
Cristina Mittermeier
CRISTINA GOETTSCH MITTERMEIER (“Mitty”) is a marine biologist, storyteller and pioneer in the field of conservation photography. Hailed as one of the most influential conservation photographers of our time, she has dedicated her entire life to protecting the world’s oceans and wild places – inspiring millions of people to do the same. In 2005 Cristina founded the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues, coining the phrase “conservation photography.” In 2014 she co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization using strategic communications at the intersection of art, science, and conservation to protect and rewild the ocean for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate within our lifetimes.
Cristina’s work has been published in hundreds of magazines and media outlets, including National Geographic, TIME, CNN, McLean’s, The Men’s Journal and O. Her Limited Edition Prints are in private galleries and public exhibitions around the world. She is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and aligns with Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative on collaborative efforts to preserve the natural World. In 2021 she was featured in Welcome to Earth on Disney+. She has been honored with many awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award, the Humanity Content Creator Award from HIPA, and the Imaging Award for Photographers who Give Back. In 2021, she received the Seattle Aquarium’s Sylvia Earle Medal and Travel + Leisure’s Global Vision Award and was named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action. Along with her partner, Paul Nicklen, she was named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year in 2018.
Cristina received a degree in Biochemical Engineering in Marine Sciences from the ITESM University in Mexico. She attended the Fine Art Photography program at the Corcoran College for the Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2022, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, honoris causa, from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Cristina is a committed impact investor and an influential voice in bridging financial returns while creating a positive social and environmental impact. She has three adult children, John, Michael and Juliana, all of whom are passionate about nature.