Primates, Ecology, and Conservation in Indonesia

Andrea Pfaff is a third year Honors College undergrad at Rutgers University double majoring in Marine Biology and Digital Film. She wasn’t always interested in Film and in fact had planned on being purely a science major in college. However, as she pursued science she devolved a fascination with, and a passion for, the ways film can communicate and create interest in topics that might otherwise be alienating to viewers. With this in mind she hopes to pursue science film making as a career in hopes of making important scientific discoveries and principles accessible and interesting to the public. While at Rutgers she has enjoyed partnering with several Rutgers scientists to make documentaries about their work and is excited to continue this by traveling abroad to Indonesia this summer to make a film about the research on Orangutans being done there by Rutgers scientists.

My name is Emily Hunziker. I am an Environmental Policy, Institutions and Behavior major with a minor in Sustainability. I am very excited about my trip to Indonesia for the Primate Ecology & Conservation program. This hands on experience will provide me with a real life adaptation of my studies, and I can't wait to learn about all the facets that make up this unique ecosystem!

Hello! My name is Michelle Arias and I am a senior studying Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources. This winter I will be traveling to Belize to study Wildlife Health, Ecology, and Conservation. My main goal for this trip is to learn more about the practices and programs in wildlife conservation and education since this is a field that I plan to pursue in the future. I can't wait to take part in every aspect of this trip, but I am most excited for activities such as monitoring wild and captive animals, bird banding and mist netting. I am always searching for new adventures that will help me grows as a person and I am sincerely grateful for SEBS for making my Belize adventure a possibility!

Tanner Yuhas is a junior in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, studying Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources. He is also a member of the inaugural class of the Rutgers Honors College. Tanner works in the lab of Dr. Brooke Maslo, studying the affects of oyster aquaculture in the Delaware Bay on migrating endangered shorebirds and their eating behavior. Tanner also began working with Dr. Erin Vogel on his George H Cook Honors Thesis, where he will be investigating if orangutans in Indonesia develop feeding repertoires different from their mothers, and if these potential differences stem from personal preferences in food choice. It was this project that sparked Tanner's desire to visit Indonesia on this study abroad trip this summer. Around Rutgers, Tanner also participates in Club Men's Ultimate Frisbee, where he was named a captain this year.

am a rising junior studying Environmental Science and minoring in astrophysics and philosophy. This summer, I will be traveling to Indonesia studying primate behavior and doing field work in conservation in the Javan rainforest. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity SEBS is giving me to learn the necessary techniques for navigating the research field in the future and of course be amongst wild orangutans!