Amanda Ellwanger

Ph.D. Anthropology, The University of Texas at San Antonio
M.A. Anthropology, San Diego State University
B.A. Anthropology and Environmental Studies, Emory University

Primate behavioral ecology and conservation, ethnoprimatology, human-animal relationships, ecological anthropology, biological anthropology, cercopithecine monkeys (i.e., baboons and macaques), South Africa, Indonesia

Dr. Ellwanger is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Her research focuses on ecological, biological, and cultural dimensions of human-animal relationships, particularly nonhuman primates, who coexist in coupled social-ecological landscapes. She is particularly interested in behaviorally flexible primate species, like baboons and macaques, who can navigate the risks and rewards of the anthropogenic niches. She conducted her dissertation research in Western Cape, South Africa, where she examined how people shape fear landscapes for chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) and how baboons alter their foraging and social networks in response to fear. She is currently working on a project in Sulawesi, Indonesia, funded by the National Science Foundation, that examines how moor macaques (Macaca maura) adapt to risks and rewards in rapidly changing anthropogenic habitats.
Her goal as a teaching scholar is to actively engage students in dynamic, inclusive learning environments that foster intercultural fluency, critical thinking, and communication skills. She teaches a variety of courses including Introduction to Anthropology, Introduction to Biological Anthropology, and Primate Behavioral Ecology. She is currently working on a project to assess how immersive virtual reality experiences can be used to increases student engagement.
Dr. Ellwanger is an active member of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, where she serves on the Education Committee. She also works with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate Interactions.