Curriculum Vitae

Elizabeth Sian Herrelko

Nickname: Betsy

Email: elizabeth.herrelko@stir.ac.uk

Mailing address:
University of Stirling
Department of Psychology
Stirling
FK9 4LA
UK


Education


University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
PhD in Psychology, expected 2011

  • The Chimpcam Project
  • Supervisors: Dr Sarah-Jane Vick and Professor Hannah Buchanan-Smith
  • Collaborators: University of Stirling, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Burning Gold Productions
  • Research website: www.chimpcam.com


Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
Master of Arts in Psychology – Animal Behaviour and Conservation, 2006

  • Thesis: Effects of environmental and demographic changes on the social behaviour within a captive group of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)
  • Committee: Dr Sheila Chase (Hunter College) and Dr Colleen McCann (Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo)


Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2003


Experience in Animal Behaviour


The Gorilla Foundation, Woodside, California, USA
2006-2008
Research Liaison and Operations Manager
Research Associate and Operations Supervisor
Gorilla Caregiver and Research Assistant

Fordham University Psychology Department, Bronx, New York, USA
2002-2003
Laboratory Assistant, working with Sprague-Dawley rats (part time)

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo, Bronx, New York, USA
2001-2006
Docent


Experience in Business


Interactive Data, New York, New York, USA
2004-2006
Administrative Assistant for GTIS and the Managed Solutions group (part time)

Award Winner Corporation, Mount Vernon, New York, USA
2003-2004
Production Assistant

Fordham University Ram Van, Bronx, New York, USA
2000-2003
Dispatcher and Driver (part time)


Presentations

  • 17 January 2010. The Chimpcam Project, an overview. The Burn, Scottish Primate Research Group (SPRG), Glenesk, Angus, Scotland.
  • 9 December 2009. RZSS Centenary Celebrations — Budongo Trail: The Chimpcam Project. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • 2 December 2009. Is training for cognitive testing stressful? A comparison of self-directed behaviours of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).
    Primate Society of Great Britain, Winter Meeting, London, England.
  • 10 November 2009. Adult Education Class — Ex-situ research in RZSS: The Chimpcam Project. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • 13 October 2009. Is training for cognitive testing stressful? A comparison of self-directed behaviours of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG), University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
  • 2 June 2009. Training for cognitive testing as a method of enrichment in Budongo Trail, Edinburgh Zoo. International Conference on Environmental Enrichment (ICEE), Torquay, England.
  • 18 April 2009. Training chimpanzees for cognitive testing at Budongo Trail, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Scotland Conference on Animal Behaviour, Glasgow, Scotland.
  • 23 September 2008. An exploration of self-recognition in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG), University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.

  • 4 October 2007. Two-way communication as enrichment and husbandry aid. American Association of Zookeepers National Conference, Galveston, Texas, USA.

  • 8 April 2006. Effects of environmental and demographic changes on the social behaviour within a troop of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri Sciureus). 34th Annual Hunter Psychology Convention and 10th Annual N.E.U.R.O.N. Conference, New York, New York, USA.


Memberships

  • Animal Behavior Society
  • International Primatological Society
  • Primate Society of Great Britain
  • Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology


Research Interests

  • Cognition, theory of mind, behavioural management, and welfare assessment


Computer-Related Skills

  • Advanced: Mac and PC computers; Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
  • Intermediate: Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver CS3; SPSS; Noldus Observer XT 8.0; Microsoft Access
  • Typing speed: 80 words per minute