Jacob Phelps is a scientist in CIFOR's Forest Governance Portfolio. He has broad research interests, including related to forest sector law enforcement, the illegal wildlife/timber trade, and the design of Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes. Prior to joining CIFOR, he was based in Thailand, where he conducted research on region's illegal botanical trade. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from the National University of Singapore, and completed his M.Phil. in geography at the University of Cambridge and his B.S. in Environmental Science and Management at Michigan State University.