Great Ape Trust Expands Board, Charts Course for 2012

Des Moines, Iowa-December 13, 2011-Great Ape Trust, a world-class scientific research organization in Des Moines that studies culture, language, tools and intelligence, has a new board and an ambitious agenda for 2012. The Great Ape Trust board of directors has been expanded to include seven members with extensive backgrounds in scientific research and academia. The nine-member board, under the direction of newly elected chair, Dr. Kenneth Schweller of Buena Vista University, has spent the past several weeks assessing Great Ape Trust's research efforts, laboratory operations and administrative organization.

The result is that a national search is underway for a scientific director. This new position will be responsible for the organization's research trajectory, the acquisition of grants and the administration of research programs by Great Ape Trust scientists as well as visiting researchers from collaborating academic and scientific institutions.

"For Great Ape Trust to succeed and remain a viable scientific organization in Iowa, we need to increase our research and be more successful in obtaining grants and funding," said Schweller. "We're confident the addition of a scientific director will help us accomplish those goals and strengthen Great Ape Trust's research credibility."

He added that the opportunity to collaborate with Great Ape Trust Senior Scientist, Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, who earlier this year was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World and the global media attention her bonobo research program garners, will attract a quality field of candidates. Schweller said a scientific director could be selected as soon as next month.

Meanwhile, Dr. Heidi Lyn, an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and a scientist who has collaborated on bonobos research with Savage-Rumbaugh, has been asked to serve as Great Ape Trust's interim operations director until the scientific director is in place.

Lyn replaced William Fields who served as Great Ape Trust's executive director since 2007. Fields, who resigned this month, began his scientific study of the bonobos in the 1990s while the apes were at Georgia State University.

EXPANDED BOARD

Schweller was one of seven additions last month to the Great Ape Trust board of directors. Others include: Dr. Paul Lasley, Iowa State University; Dr. Ramon Lim, University of Iowa; Dr. Jill Pruetz, Iowa State University; Dr. Horst D. Steklis, University of Arizona; Dr. Deborah Turner, Mercy Gynecologic Oncology in Des Moines; and Dr. Edward Wasserman, University of Iowa.

The new members join current Great Ape Trust directors: Margo Blumenthal, Des Moines; and Connie Wimer, Des Moines. Great Ape Trust Founder Ted Townsend remains affiliated with the organization as chair emeritus and a non-voting board member.