Colleen O’Donnell
Davee Center Research Assistant

Colleen O’Donnell graduated in May 2005 from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in Biology.  Her previous experience includes looking at tool-use acquisition in captive populations of chimpanzees and gorillas and initializing a project that would examine micro- and macro-behaviors of wild and captive elephant populations. 

As the Davee Center Research Assistant, O’Donnell coordinates various Epidemiology and Endocrinology projects.  Her main focus is to help organize a surveillance program where zoos nationwide can act as sentinels in the monitoring of avian influenza in wild birds.  She also assists with various research projects, including a health monitoring study to characterize health norms of chimpanzees in the wild and a zoo visitor behavior study to evaluate exhibit graphics design on the zoo grounds.