My research program involves two main lines of investigation: 1) the ontogeny of social competence in wild olive baboons; 2) the long-term effects of ecological changes on wild olive baboons’ behavior and reproductive parameters. I also oversee student research on the Japanese macaques housed at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Finally, as Lead Coordinator for an ISU Learning Community, I combine research with practice in investigating effective strategies for mentoring and teaching first- and second-year students with broad interests in the Life Sciences.