Dr. Stacy Lopresti-Goodman works hard to help her students develop their critical thinking and communication skills. In class, she poses questions about controversial topics that they must research and then respectfully debate.\u00a0She also actively involves them in field studies, which can include conducting observations of primate behavior at zoos or animal sanctuaries.<\/p>\n
\u0093I\u0092ve been fortunate enough to bring students to a chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya three times and\u00a0to a sanctuary in Spain once,\u0094 she says. \u0093These trips help\u00a0make the\u00a0knowledge and research skills they learn about in the classroom come to life.\u00a0Students are encouraged to use\u00a0these\u00a0skills advocating on\u00a0behalf of chimpanzees in the U.S. after we return.\u0094<\/p>\n
A group of them did just that when they met with Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Marymount\u0092s congressional district and is a national leader on animal protection issues. The students had all taken Lopresti-Goodman\u0092s Abnormal Primate Psychology class, and most had traveled abroad with her to volunteer and conduct research at chimpanzee sanctuaries.<\/p>\n
\u0093I was impressed by my students’ ability to discuss the intricacies of animal protection issues with the congressman in such a\u00a0passionate and\u00a0professional manner,\u0094 she said.<\/p>\n
The students shared the work they\u0092ve done to help chimpanzees in the U.S., including creating petitions to ban the use of chimpanzees on greeting cards and to retire chimpanzees from roadside zoos. They\u0092ve also presented research\u00a0at scientific conferences\u00a0on abnormal behaviors in chimpanzees rescued from abusive captive situations.<\/p>\n
Lopresti-Goodman came to Marymount in 2009. In addition to researching the impact that confinement, social isolation, and physical abuse have on the psychological well-being of animals rescued from laboratories, she researches alternatives to the use of animals in psychology education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Stacy Lopresti-Goodman works hard to help her students develop their critical thinking and communication skills. In class, she poses questions about controversial topics that they must research and then respectfully debate.\u00a0She also actively involves them in field studies, which can include conducting observations of primate behavior at zoos or animal sanctuaries. \u0093I\u0092ve been fortunate […]<\/p>\n