Dr. Steve Rothenberger
biology professor, 308.865.8883
World-renowned chimpanzee expert Dr. Jane Goodall will give a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Health and Sports Center.
Dr. Goodall’s pioneering research into chimpanzee behavior in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Her presentation, titled “Reason for Hope,” will highlight her life’s work, her current efforts as a conservationist and humanitarian, and her reasons for hope.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Author of more than 20 books, including the best-selling Reason for Hope, Dr. Goodall will remain after the lecture for book signing. Books will be available at the Health and Sports Center before and after her presentation.
While best known for her ongoing study of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Dr. Goodall is recognized throughout the world for her environmental conservation efforts. In 2003, she was named by Queen Elizabeth as a Dame of the British Empire (the female equivalent of a knighthood), and in 2002, she was selected by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
She has been featured in numerous television specials and an IMAX film, which is currently being shown in theatres world-wide. Her work keeps her traveling an average of 300 days per year, speaking about threats facing chimpanzees, environmental crises, and her reasons for hope that the human race will remedy the problems it has imposed on the earth.
As founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Dr. Goodall is also widely recognized for establishing innovative conservation and development programs. The JGI TACARE (Take Care) community-centered conservation programs in Tanzania and the Congo preserve and restore the environment while giving hope to thousands of families through initiatives that improve health care, promote economic development and support sustainable livelihoods. JGI’s Roots & Shoots program engages youth through service learning and is based on the principle that knowledge leads to compassion which inspires action. Roots & Shoots has groups in rural, suburban and inner-city neighborhoods in more than 90 countries.
Dr. Goodall’s lecture is sponsored, in part, by the UNK College of Natural and Social Sciences.
