Department of Primatology

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig

phone: +49 (0)341 3550 - 200
fax: +49 (0)341 3550 - 299

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. - Zoology, University of Wisconsin, May 1996.
M.S. - Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, December 1993.
B.S. - Biology and Psychology (double major), University of South Carolina, May 1989

Academic Employment

1998-present	Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
1997-1998	Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Gustavus Adolphus College
1995-1997	Lecturer, Depts of Psychology, Zoology, & Anthropology, University of Wisconsin

Management Experience

1998-present	Leader of the Gorilla Research Group in the Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
1998-present	Director of long term research project of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.
2005-2014	Co-director of Loango Ape Project, Loango National Park, Gabon.
2014-present	Director of Loango Gorilla Project, Loango National Park, Gabon.
2008-present	Established a conservation education program,’ Bwindi Ape Conservation Education Partnership’, with four primary schools, Ruhija District, Uganda

Established collaborative research projects with several NGO’s, research institutions, and national park services including:

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
International Gorilla Conservation Program
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program
Mbeli Bai Gorilla Project
Bai Hokou Gorilla Program.

Teaching Experience

2007-present	Lecturer, International Max Planck Research School for Human Origins
1997-1998	Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN Taught four upper level courses: Animal Behavior, Evolution, Ecology, & Conservation Biology Taught one introductory level course: “Evolution, Ecology, & Behavior”
1995-1997	University of Wisconsin, WI, USA Designed and taught the following courses: ‘Comparative Perspectives on Social Behavior’, ‘Ethology’, and ‘Primate Behavioral Ecology’

Organized and taught the following to national park staff and conservation partners:

July 2016	Basics of Mountain Gorillas - Training Workshop, Ruhija, Uganda.
March 2009	Gorilla Behavior and Habituation -Training Workshop, Ruhija, Uganda.
June 2008	Gorilla Behavior and Tourism -Training Workshop, Ruhija, Uganda.
January 2008	Gorilla Behavior - Training Workshop, Muzanzi, Rwanda.
June 2008	Gorilla Behavior and Tourism -Training Workshop, Ruhija, Uganda.
November 2007	Gorilla Demography - Training Workshop, Musanze, Rwanda.

Grants & Awards

2016-2017	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Research as a component of tourism development for Western Gorillas in Loango National Park, Gabon’ $92,450
2016-2017	Tusk Trust, Conservation and Research of Western Gorillas in Loango National Park, $25,000
2015-2016	Tusk Trust Conservation and Research of Western Gorillas in Loango National Park, Gabon $23,250
2010-2016	Berggorilla Regenwald Direkthlife/Mondberge Conservation Education Program for four primary schools neighbouring Bwindi Annual contribution of € 7,000
2015	Berggorilla Regenwald Direkthilfe Renovation of research camp in Loango National Park, Gabon € 20,000
2015-2016	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Conservation, Research and Tourism of Critically Endangered Western Gorillas in Loango National Park, Gabon’ $98,800
2013-2015	National Geographic Society ‘Why so big?: Reproductive success and body size in male & female mountain gorillas’ € 20,000.
2014-2015	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Integrating Research and Tourism as Conservation Strategies for critically endangered western gorillas in Loango National Park Gabon’ $57,560
2012-2013	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Conservation, Research, and Tourism of Western Gorillas and Central Chimpanzees in Loango National Park, Gabon’ $67,970
2012-2014	Great Ape Education Project collaborative conservation education project with UNITE, Kassisi Project, and Nature for Kids that produced 3 conservation videos for children and conducted outreach activities with 8 primary schools around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park received €19,000 of a € 260,000 overall grant from the Adessium Foundation
2011-2012	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Conservation and Research of Western Gorillas in Loango National Park, Gabon’ $78,755
2008-2009	United States Fish & Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Fund ‘Prospects for Growth: Developing Applied Conservation Strategies through Integrative Ecological Modeling of Bwindi Mountain Gorillas’ $41,249
2006-2007	National Geographic Society ‘Prospects for Growth: Assessment of habitat utilization, habitat availability, population trends and genetic variability of Bwindi mountain gorillas’ $18,930
2005-2006	Leakey Foundation ‘Strategies of diet selectivity and habitat utilization in mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda’ $12,000
1995	Sigma Xi- Wisconsin Chapter Graduate Research Award Semi-finalist
1994	Chicago Zoological Society Conservation & Research Grant (not utilized due to political instability in Rwanda)
1991-1994	National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship (stipend and tuition).

Professional Services

Reviewer for the following journals and publishers:

Animal Behaviour
Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology,
American Journal of Physical Anthropology,
American Journal of Primatology,
International Journal of Primatology
Animal Cognition
Behavioral Ecology,
University of Chicago Press
Cambridge University Press

Reviewer for the following granting agencies:

National Science Foundation
the Leakey Foundation
National Geographic Society.

Professional societies:

International Primate Society
German Primate Society
Regular contributor of articles for Gorilla Journal (publication of Berggorilla Regenwald Direkthilfe)
GRASP (Great Ape Survival Partnership; UNEP) Scientific Council, 2013-present
Primates, Advisory Board member, 2012-2017
IUCN Section on Great Apes committee member, 2002-present
Evaluator for IUCN Red List Assessment of Gorilla beringei, 2008
Evaluator for IUCN Red List Assessment of Gorilla beringei beringei, 2015
Wildlife Conservation Society Fellow
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program Conservation Advisory Committee Member, 2009-2011
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program – Science Advisor, 2012-2013
Art of Conservation, Advisory Council Member, 2012-2013

Conference & Workshops Organized

August 2014	Co-organizer for ‘Understanding the Variability of Gorilla Social Structure’, symposium at International Primatology Conference, Hanoi, Vietnam.
June 2014	Co-organizer for ‘Apes Across Africa’ Workshop, Fort Portal, Uganda. Goal was to bring together early career African ape conservationists and researchers for a four day workshop of talks, discussions, training sessions, and field site visits. Meeting was attended by fifty participants, including representatives from 14 African countries.
November 2013	Co-organizer for ‘Gorillas Across Africa’ workshop, Musanze, Rwanda. Goal was to bring together early career African conservationists and researchers working with gorillas for a fourday workshop of talks, discussions, training sessions, and field site visits. Meeting was attended by forty participants, including representatives from 8 African countries.
June 2011	Co-organizer for ‘Gorillas Across Africa’ workshop, Ruhija, Uganda. Goal was to bring together early career African conservationists and researchers working with gorillas for a four day workshop of talks, discussions, training sessions, and field site visits. Meeting was attended by forty participants, including representatives from 7 African countries.
August 2009	Co-organizer for ‘Assessing the Prospects for Growth of the Bwindi Mountain Gorilla Population’ workshop, Kabale, Uganda. Goals were to assess the relative effects of potential management actions on population growth and establish future priorities for gorilla research & management strategies. Meeting was attended by +40 participants from six organizations working in and around Bwindi and beyond.
June 2008	Organizer for ‘Research & Conservation of Bwindi Mountain Gorillas Workshop’ , Ruhija, Uganda. Meeting consisted of presentations and discussions of ongoing research in Bwindi. Attended by +30 participants from six organizations working in and around Bwindi.
August 2004	Co-organizer for ‘Feeding Ecology in Apes and Other Primates’ conference, Leipzig, Germany. Goal was to bring together more than 20 researchers to present findings and discuss future avenues of research concerning feeding ecology of great apes.
January 1999	Co-organizer for ‘Mountain Gorillas of Karisoke: Research Synthesis and Potentials’, Leipzig, Germany. Goal was to have 15 researchers present findings and discuss future avenues for research of Virunga mountain gorillas.

Invited Workshops/ Symposia

August 2016	Plasticity and individual variation: evolutionary significance and conservation consequences, Symposium at International Primatology Conference, Chicago.
May 2014	Western Gorilla Research & Conservation Symposium, Libreville, Gabon.
September 2013	Great Ape Summit, Jackson Hole, WY,
May 2013	Great Ape Conservation Workshop, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
April 2013	Reconstructing Dietary Adaptations in Human Evolution, Tempe, AZ.
August 2012	Mountain Gorillas Then and Now: Celebrating 45 Years of Research at the Karisoke Research Center, Symposium at International Primatology Conference, Cancun, Mexico.
August 2012	Flexibility in Social Relationships in Female-dispersal Species, Symposium at International Primatology Conference, Cancun, Mexico.
October 2010	Aggression & Peacemaking in an Evolutionary Context, Lorenz Workshop, Leiden, Netherlands.
September 2008	Leakey Foundation 40th Anniversary - Primatology symposium, San Francisco, CA.
October 2007	Conservation for Migratory Species Gorilla Meeting, Paris, France.
May 2007	Rwandan Biodiversity Conference, Kigali, Rwanda.
May 2005	Great Ape Conservation Workshop, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.