Dame Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist whose pioneering work with chimpanzees transformed our understanding of animal intelligence and human evolution, has died at the age of 91.
Her connection to the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, had an enduring impact. In 1991, the College named her a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and Occupational Science - the same year it established the Jane Goodall Research Center. Though the center is no longer active, it played a formative role in the College's research on great apes and the evolutionary roots of human behavior.
Goodall's appointment at USC Dornsife was made possible in part by the late Professor Emeritus Granville "Zandy" Moore and her friendship with the late Christopher Boehm, then professor of anthropology and biological sciences. Boehm had worked alongside Goodall in the mid-1980s before joining USC Dornsife, where he partnered with Craig Stanford, professor of biological sciences and anthropology, to co-lead the center.
"Jane's influence on USC Dornsife stretches back more than 30 years and has inspired generations of students and scholars," said Stanford. "I lived and worked with Jane in Tanzania. Random encounters would lead to heartfelt conversations, and people would stop in their tracks to pay respects to her. She was a globally important figure who stood for morality and ethics toward our planet as few others have."
Goodall was best known for her research at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania, where she documented chimpanzees using tools and forming social bonds - findings that challenged long-standing assumptions about what separates humans from other animals. She later founded the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation, as well as the Roots & Shoots youth program, both dedicated to protecting animals and the environment.
Goodall received numerous honors during her lifetime, including designation as a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004. In 1997, she was awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, which is administered by USC.
In 2009, Goodall delivered a lecture to a capacity crowd in USC's Bovard Auditorium. The event was one of many reminders of her enduring power to educate, inspire and connect.
"Jane's spirit lives on in the questions we ask, the way we study, and the deep respect we hold for the natural world," said Stanford.
