Adriana Lopez is working on an M.S. in Biology begining August 2013. She received her B.S. in Animal Science, with an emphasis in Animal Behavior, from UC Davis in 2011. Adriana's experience comes from years of working at Sonoma County Animal Care and Control, and most recently the California National Primate Research Center. Her interests include abnormal animal behavior and captive animal welfare in research, zoological and shelter settings.

(Photo courtesy of Adriana Lopez)

Anthropology major Anna McPeck joined the lab in September 2013 and is studying social behavior in mandrills at the San Francisco Zoo We are interested in changes in group dynamics after the addition of two new adult females in Spring 2013.

(Photo courtesy of Anna McPeck)

Biology major Nicole Tillquist joined the lab in August 2013. She is studying cross-fostering behavior in greater kudu at Safari West. We are interested in understanding the effects on behavioral development of non-kudu antelope raised by the kudu herd to see if cross-fostering is a viable alternative to hand-rearing infants who are not cared for by their mothers.

(Photo courtesy of Nicole Tillquist)

Biology major Gini Michels joined the lab in August 2013. She is studying the effects of enclosure type on the behavior of black and white colobus monkeys at the San Francisco Zoo as the monkeys are transferred from their current enclosure into a new, larger one.

(Photo courtesy of Gini Michels)

Biology major Bibi Rahimzada joined the lab in May 2013 and is continuing our long-running research on an all-male troop of squirrel monkeys at the San Francisco Zoo to better understand how the enclosure influences aggression and dominance behaviors as well as affiliative interactions.

(Photo courtesy of Karin E. Jaffe)

Biology major Andrew McCrory joined the lab in April 2013. He is studying hair-plucking by mandrills at the San Francisco Zoo with the ultimate goal of helping keepers reduce this stereotyped behavior as much as possible.

(Photo courtesy of Karin E. Jaffe)

Biology major Gillian King-Bailey joined the lab in November 2012. She is studying mating behavior in cheetah at Safari West. Understanding behavior associated with mating is an important component of successful breeding of this critically endangered species in captivity.

(Photo courtesy of Gillian King-Bailey)

Biology major Anthony Aliamus joined the lab in November 2012. He is studying male-male aggression in patas monkeys at Safari West in order to better understand the interactions between the adult and subadult male so as to reduce the likelihood of heightened aggression between them.

(Photo courtesy of Karin E. Jaffe)

Marcia Brown received her M.A. in Biological Anthropology through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program posthumously in May 2013. Her master's research, which began in May 2010, focused on the behavior of an all-male group of squirrel monkeys at the San Francisco Zoo. Her research continues into the present via other SSUPER Research assistants, including Natalie Hambalek and Bibi Rahimzada.

(Photo courtesy of Karin Jaffe)

Brieanna Richards recieved her M.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University in July, 2008. Her thesis focused on the effects of stimuli on ring-tail lemur behavior. During the course of her resesarch, she collected behavioral data on a group of captive ring-tail lemurs at Safari West wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa, CA to: 1) compare the behavior of the captive group to wild populations, 2) assess the effects various types of naturally occurring stimuli have on the group's behavior when compared to baseline conditions, and 3) assess if individuals behave differently under various stimuli conditions. Her results indicate: 1) significant differences exist between the Safari West group and wild populations of ring-tail lemurs in terms of time allocated to inactivity, feeding, vocalizing and vigilance, 2) that various types of stimuli significantly affect locomotion, grooming, vigilance and vocalization behaviors in the captive group, but not inactive, scent-marking and feeding behaviors, and 3) individual lemur behavior did not significantly vary. Finally, Brieanna's thesis explores possible future enrichment techniques for the Safari West ring-tail lemurs. Brieanna is currently adjunct faculty in Biology at College of Marin.

(Photo courtesy of Karin Jaffe)