Jane Goodall, World Famous Animal Behavior Expert and Conservationist, to Speak at UT April 20

Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and a U.N. Messenger of Peace, will speak at The University of Tampa on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. Goodall, who is widely known as redefining the relationship between humans and other animals through her study of chimpanzees, is the inaugural speaker of UT’s new Distinguished Speaker Series.

Jane Goodall is best known for her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Gombe, Tanzania. Photo by Michael Neugebauer

The presentation will be held at Falk Theatre on campus. Tickets will be made available on March 23 at ut.edu/janegoodall. Tickets are free to UT students, faculty and staff. A limited number of tickets for the public will be available for $5 per ticket.

Goodall is best known for her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Gombe, Tanzania. Her presentation will be titled "Gombe: 60 Years of Discovery," in light of 2020 being the 60 ^th anniversary of Goodall’s first trip to Gombe.

In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which has continued Goodall’s work through Gombe Stream Research Center, host to the world’s longest-running chimpanzee study. JGI is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees, other great apes and their habitats through community-centered conservation. The organization is widely recognized for this innovative approach, which puts people at the center of conservation action and decision-making for the benefit of all.

Roots & Shoots, JGI’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program, was founded by Goodall in 1991 with a group of Tanzanian students. Through the program, young people are able to become inspired to make a difference in their community, creating service projects that benefit people, other animals and the environment. Today, Roots & Shoots is active in more than 50 countries and since its inception has greatly impacted participants of all ages in over 100 countries.

UT’s chapter of Roots & Shoots (R&S) was founded in 2014 and is dedicated to green, sustainable practices and conservation in the community through projects that target one of three areas: the UT and local Tampa Bay community, animals and the environment. The chapter conducts weekly volunteer sessions at St. Peter Claver School’s learning garden, monthly sessions at The Sustainable Living Project and two trash cleanups per semester. Community service partners that R&S has worked with include The Sustainable Living Project, Tampa Bay Watch, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Tampa Audubon Society, Lettuce Lake Park and Big Cat Rescue.

Goodall continues to travel internationally, traveling nearly 300 days a year speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises and her reasons for hope that humankind will solve the problems it has imposed on the Earth.

Goodall’s honors include the French Legion of Honor, the Medal of Tanzania and Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize. In 2002, Goodall was appointed to serve as a United Nations Messenger of Peace and in 2003, she was named a Dame of the British Empire. Time magazine named Goodall as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.

For more information about Goodall and the work of the Jane Goodall Institute, please visit www.janegoodall.org.

For more information on this event, go to ut.edu/janegoodall, or contact the UT Honors Program at honors@ut.edu.

UT’s Distinguished Speaker Series is intended to bring high-profile speakers to the University. The series is sponsored by The University of Tampa Honors Program with support from the College of Arts and Letters, Sykes College of Business, College of Natural and Health Sciences, College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, and Student Government.