Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson received a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Stanford University and is the President and Director of Research at the Gorilla Foundation.  For more than 30 years she has directed an interspecies communication project with Koko, a western lowland gorilla, and worked to promote public awareness of the plight of gorillas. The author of more than 40 publications including The Education of Koko with Eugene Linden, and the award-winning children’s books, Koko’s Kitten and Koko’s Story, Penny has earned numerous awards and honors, including National Geographic Society grants, a Kilby Award, and the Rolex Award for Enterprise.

In addition to Project Koko, Penny spearheaded the Gorilla Foundation’s Wildlife Protector’s Fund (WPF) in 1998, in response to the African bushmeat crisis.  She is currently establishing the Maui Ape Preserve (MAP), the first tropical sanctuary for gorillas outside of Africa, and hi-tech visitor communication center, in order to save gorillas and other great apes from extinction.  Both projects apply her 30 years of research experience to achieve "conservation through communication."

Devin Bailey is the primary keeper and trainer for chimpanzees and Sumatran Orangutans at Sedgwick County Zoo.  She started volunteering at the zoo at the age of 15 in the African Veldt.  She was an Animal Care Specialist in the US Army and was the distinguished honor graduate of her military class.  She later became an animal control officer in Oklahoma.  In 2001 she moved back to Wichita and started working at SCZ as a Farms keeper.  She has been working with the apes for about four years.  Outside of work she focuses on spending time with her family and traveling when she can.  Devin lives with her two great danes, Moose and Monti.

Kristina Casper-Denman is an anthropology professor at American River College in Sacramento, California, where she offers a class teaching the ChimpanZoo ethogram to students each spring semester. She is both co-coordinator of the ChimpanZoo program at the Sacramento Zoo and the Northwest Regional Volunteer Coordinator. Kristina observed capuchin and howler monkeys in Costa Rica, worked with a variety of monkeys including several species of marmosets and macaques, and interned at the Primate Foundation of Arizona for growth and development research while earning her MA in physical anthropology at Arizona State University. She is an active member of Bringing Enrichment to Animals (BETA) at the Sacramento Zoo, where she prepares a variety of enrichment materials each month for the monkeys and apes. Kristina has presented research papers at the Southwest Anthropology Association, the Sacramento Anthropology Society, the American Society of Primatologists, and ChimpanZoo. She is currently working on a MA in cultural anthropology at California State University at Sacramento and a Ph.D. in Native American Studies at the University of California at Davis.

Melinda gained her Bachelor’s Degree in Zoo Science through Friends University.  She spent several years as a part-time employee and volunteer at the Sedgwick County Zoo and has been a full time Zookeeper there for the last ten years.  Her current emphasis is in South American and Australian birds.  Melinda has also concentrated in South American mammals and worked as a Relief Keeper, where she gained knowledge in every zoo area on all shifts.

A little over a decade ago, she began volunteering for ChimpanZoo and currently maintains the zoo’s ChimpanZoo data collection.  The poster she sent to the 1999 conference called “The Location of Sleeping Chimpanzees in Respect to the Introduction of a New Troop Member at the Sedgwick County Zoo” won the first place award.  This year, she will be assisting Jeanne Hopkins with her presentation from the data collection aspect of her analysis.

Helene Ehriander is a Ph. D. and lecturer in Comparative Literature at the university of Växjö, Sweden. Her special interests are children's literature and she is writing a book on Astrid Lindgren as a publisher and another book on Maria Montessori and literature pedagogics. Last year she studied four courses on animal communication and the behaviour of dogs at the univeristy of Linköping.

Peter Fries received his BA degree in German from the University of Michigan in 1959, and his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964.  His first formal training in linguistics had a functionalist orientation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics [with Kenneth L. Pike]. Fries then worked extensively with Michael Halliday and now uses the Systemic Functional model of description.  However the influence of Pike can still be seen in his work.  Indeed, Fries's current interest in investigating the communication strategies of Kanzi and Panbanisha (two bonobo apes) can be seen as an extension of Pike's interest in the function of language within social interaction.

Fries first taught at the University of Wisconsin, and then moved to Central Michigan University where he taught for over thirty years.

Prof. Fries has given over 100 lectures in 20 countries. His interests include both the development of linguistic theory and its application to practical problems. He has worked extensively in the National Council of Teachers of English, Teachers of English to Teachers of Other Languages, the American Association for Applied Linguistics and the International Systemic Functional Linguistics Association.

He has also written one book and over 50 articles, and has edited six books. His main focus of interest has been in the analysis of discourse [recently including human-ape  discourse] and English grammar.

Jeanne Hopkins is a ChimpanZoo Volunteer at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS. In 1989, as a new member, Jeanne became active with enrichment preparation for the chimpanzees, also for the orangutans. In May of 1992 at the ChimpanZoo Conference in Tulsa, OK, Jeanne co-presented a poster, video and photo presentation, “The Next Step for Enrichment.” Enrichment preparation had grown to include items for capuchins, squirrel monkeys, and goeldi’s monkeys. A portion of the video captured tool use by a capuchin, Charlie, using a carrot chunk to break food-filled ice cubes, or rubbing the ice cubes on the floor for quicker melting to reach a desired food item.

Jeanne next began recording chimpanzee data in the group’s Observation Notebook. Her notes lengthened to 1-3 hour narratives for individual chimps or groups of chimps. At the 1996 ChimpanZoo Conference in Wichita, Jeanne exhibited a photo poster and story titled “Maisha and the Hot-Wired Tree.” The pictures represented a segment of time during which the avoidance of hot wire to reach a desired branch became a form of enrichment. In 2005, Jeanne presented “17+ Years of Observation Notes and Narratives” at the ChimpanZoo Conference in Salina, KS, using both her own and John Strickler’s narrative entries to determine an approximate period of time when Marbles lost his alpha male status. Jeanne continues to record narrative data.

William (Bill) Hopkins currently holds the appointments of Associate Professor of Psychology at Agnes Scott College and Research Scientist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He received his B.A. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin (1983) and completed his M.A. (1986) and PhD (1990) in psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. While completing his PhD, Hopkins worked at the Language Research Center of Georgia State University under the supervision of Drs. Duane Rumbaugh, Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Robin Morris. Hopkins has been primary interested in the evolution of hemispheric specialization in relation to language, motor skill and higher cognitive process. His worked has primary been on great apes studying handedness, gestural and vocal communication and their relationship to aspects of brain organization measured from magnetic resonance images and other non-invasive imaging technologies. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and has traveled extensively at home and abroad to present his findings. His research is supported by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institutes of Child Heath and Human Development.

Itai Roffman is in his senior year at Iowa State University majoring in Anthropology under the guidance of Prof. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, Prof. Jill D. Pruetz, and Mr. Bill Fields, studying for a Masters in Chimpanzee and Bonobo re-presentational symbology and recognizable imagery at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa. He received his BA in Social History and the Arts at Tel-Hai Academic College, Northern Galilee Israel. In addition to his studies, he is involved in a number of humanitarian, environmental projects, including promoting peace in the Middle East by helping raise awareness to those in need of humanitarian aid in the Syrian Ragar Village, promoting non-human hominid rights for the purpose of lifetime hostel sanctuary for Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans in captivity.

Roffman has helped save the critically endangered species of the Syrian Cat-Eyed Spade Footed Frog by raising public awareness and convincing the local municipality of Herzliya to protect an Israeli wetland known as the ‘Bassa’. 

He is the coordinator of the The Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots Israel; an affiliate member of The Fauna Foundation Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Montreal, Canada, and a board member of Negiot The Israeli Autistic & Communuicationally Disabled Children's Association.

Roffman’s articles include “King of The Wetland” and “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” for Ma’ariv National Newspaper Weekend Edition. Moreover, in recent years Roffman has been interviewed four times on Primetime National Television in Israel.  

In 2005 Roffman received the Dr. James Gillihan Award for a life of peacemaking presented at the TEAM Conference (Teachers of Experiential and Adventure Methodologies) from North Eastern Illinois University.

Steve Ross is the Supervisor of Behavioral and Cogntive Research at the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Consevation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo. His primary research interest is the assessment, measure and ultimately, improvement of wellbeing in captive animals. He has over 80 publications and presentations on a wide variety of subjects, but primarily focussed on chimpanzee behavior, management and welfare. Since 2002, Ross has chaired the Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP) the program responsible for managing all chimpanzee living in AZA-accredited zoological institutions. He has co-organized the most recent Understanding Chimpanzees conference in Chicago (2007) and is co-editor of the resulting book "The Mind of the Chimpanzee: Ecological and Experimental Perspectives".

John has been a speech-language pathologist for over 23 years.  His career emphasis has been working with people with severe, multiple disabilities and profound communication disorders.  John currently works for the Butler County Special Education Cooperative east of Wichita.

John has been a ChimpanZoo volunteer for 18 years, and has been contributing to the ChimpanZoo database for approximately 17 of those years.  As a ChimpanZoo volunteer, John has promoted the ideas of offering chimpanzees multiple enrichment items at a time, and of observing chimpanzees’ enrichment choices to gain additional information about captive communities and individuals.  Currently he is collaborating with zookeeper Devin Bailey to provide a symbolic communication enrichment activity for the chimpanzees at Sedgwick County Zoo.

John lives with his new wife and her two daughters in Park City, Kansas. He also has a daughter living in Wichita, Kansas.  His parents just celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Jared Taglialatela is a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellow at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  He received his BA in biology from the University of Virginia, and his PhD in neurobiology and behavior from Georgia State University in 2004.  While in graduate school, Dr. Taglialatela worked with the language-competent bonobos at the Language Research Center in Atlanta, GA under the direction of Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Duane Rumbaugh.  His primary research interest is in the evolutionary origins of human spoken language as well as the processes that selected for adaptive prerequisite behaviors and structures, and how these mechanisms operate on both an evolutionary and individual time scale.  Dr. Taglialatela’s research focuses on animal communication, specifically primate vocal and gestural behavior, the communicative function of these signals, and how individuals produce and perceive these utterances.  Dr. Taglialatela’s research is supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Jared is also an Eco-Team leader, for the Emory University Roots and Shoots. The team works with 3rd graders at Mary Lin Elementary in Atlanta educating them about animals and the environment and participating in service learning projects.

Carlo Alberto TASSINARI graduated in Medicine in 1961 and in Neurology in 1964 at the University of Bologna. He was Assistant Entranger at the University of Marseilles (France) from 1963 to 1965 and, subsequently, Instructor in Neurology at the University of Seattle (USA) from 1965 to 1966. He attended at the Neurological Department of the University of New South Wales, Sidney (Australia) as Research Fellow of the National Health Medical Council of Australia from 1966 to 1969. In the following decade (1969-1979) he was Director and Scientific Consultant of the Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology of INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et Recherche Medical) at the Centre St.Paul of Marseilles (France). He obtained the title of Professor in neurology in 1969 and since 1980 he is director of the second Chair of Neurology at the University of Bologna. He was vice President of the International League Against Epilepsy and Member at Large of the International Federation of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology from 1980 to 1984. He was also President pf the Italian League Against Epilepsy and Secretary of the Italian Society of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology. He has been member of’ the committee on “Standard Antiepileptic Drugs” of the International League against Epilepsy (1970—74) and on ‘Classification and Terminology of Epilepsy” (1975—78). He has been also member of the Committee on “Standards of Clinical Practice in EEG” of the International Federation of EEG.

In 1972 he was declared “Maitre en Sciences Medicales” (atthe Medical School of Marseille, France); in 1982 he obtained the International Award of Ambassador for Epilepsy (International Bureau for Epilepsy). Sìnce 1989 he is honorary member of the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. He was present in the Editorial Board of the following Scientific Journals: Epilepsia, Journal. of EEG and Clinical Neurophysiology); at present in : Rev EEG Neurophysiol. Clin. , Acta Neurologica Scandinavica and Developmental Brain Dysfunction.

He has been invited as chairman or official speaker in many National and International Symposia and is author of 350 scientific papers, mostly published in International Journals.

Hilda was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary and now resides in Mesa, Arizona. She has always had great passion for animals. After graduating high school, she began working as a zookeeper and has been working with animals ever since.  At the Budapest Zoo she worked small mammals and primates. Shortly thereafter, she began specializing in bears.

In 1984 she left the Budapest Zoo to attend Eotvos Lorand University and became a biology-geography teacher. During her college years, she continued her involvement with bears and her diploma work included the biology and distribution of bears. Hilda and her husband, Zoltan, immigrated together to the United States in 1989. She was hired at the Primate Foundation of Arizona and during the next three years, worked with 85 chimpanzees. She started her behavioral research at PFA. Her zookeeper years continued at the Phoenix Zoo where she began working with a variety of species as an evening keeper. Later on she specialized in African and native Arizona animals.

In 2002 she became the Behavioral Management Coordinator of the Phoenix Zoo. In this newly created position, she combined her teaching skills with her animal keeping experience.  This allowed her to mentor staff, interns and volunteers about training animals, providing proper environmental enrichment and conducting scientific research. She developed an interest in elephants and while conducting studies of the Phoenix Zoo’s three Asian elephants as well.  She also focused her attention on the intimate engagement of the public by educating visitors via behind the scene tours. Hilda also began teaching people how to enrich the lives of their domestic pets during specialized enrichment classes.

Hilda has created several comprehensive behavioral management programs and in 2005 received the AAZK Lee Houts Environmental Excellence Award for her work.