Pioneering primatologist Jane Goodall, whose decades of work with chimpanzees transformed anthropology and conservation, passed away at 91.
Goodall died of natural causes on Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute.
“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science,” the statement said. “She was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
Goodall studied animal behavior and challenged longstanding assumptions of the differences between humans and other species with her research at Gombe National Park in Tanzania.
Her work included the discovery of tool use and the formation of complex social groups among chimpanzees.
She also founded the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots youth program, which promotes conservation efforts and education worldwide.
USC established the Jane Goodall Research Center at Dornsife in 1991, naming Goodall a distinguished emeritus professor in anthropology and occupational science. The center allowed graduate students the opportunity to conduct research in Gombe.
The center was housed in USC’s Department of Anthropology and was co-directed by several professors, including Craig Stanford, a current professor of biological sciences and anthropology.
The research center is now inactive, but Stanford said her presence left a lasting impact on environmental and animal rights issues.
“Jane Goodall was a pioneering scientist, but more than that, she was a global icon of animal rights, of environmental awareness, and of saving the planet,” Stanford said. “She will be terribly missed.”
Stanford, who lived and worked with Goodall in Tanzania, added that what stood out most was her ability to inspire.
“Random encounters would lead to heartfelt conversations, and people would stop in their tracks to pay respects to her,” he said. “She was a globally important figure who stood for morality and ethics towards our planet, as few others have.”
Goodall left her mark on the university through other avenues as well. In 1997, she received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, administered by USC. She also delivered a lecture to a crowd of more than 1,000 USC students at Bovard Auditorium in 2009.
“The USC connection with Jane stretched back more than 30 years and has influenced and inspired the lives of our students, our faculty, and the whole university community,” Stanford said.
Goodall was also named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002 and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2004.
Goodall’s son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, continues to support the work of the Jane Goodall Institute.