Jane Goodall established the Jane Goodall Research Center at USC Dornsife in 1991, supporting research into great apes and human evolution. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons/Nicolas Richoffer.)
Honoring Jane Goodall’s legacy at USC Dornsife
The trailblazing primatologist helped to advance the study of great apes at the College, and left a lasting mark on its students and faculty.
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 Though the center is no longer active, it played a formative role in the College’s research on great apes and the evolutionary roots of human behavior.