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About Dr. Joanne Oliva-Purdy
 
Experience •  Education •  Professional Society Memberships  •  Topics & Forums  •  Papers & Presentations  •  Publications

 

Hello! Let me tell you a little about myself.

 
I am an Applied Animal Behaviorist, someone trained to study and solve animal behavior problems.

I gather information about the behavior problems of animals for owners of companion animals and for professional animal caretakers, then diagnose the problems and recommend treatments.

I am also available to run workshops or lectures on animal behavior and conduct animal behavior research.

   
My background includes:
•
 A Ph.D. in Biopsychology, with a specialty in animal behavior, including training in learning theory
•
 Over 15 years of animal behavior and animal care experience in laboratories and zoos, mainly with exotic birds, primates and carnivores.
   

I have been on the board of directors of Dog Ears and Paws, Inc., a non-profit organization which trains dogs for people with special needs, have been a member of a number of professional societies, and have attended and presented at the conferences of over eight professional societies. Click here for list of papers and presentations.

One of my strengths is the diversity of my experience. I gather information from various fields including ethology (the study of animal behavior), the study of companion animal behavior, zoos and aquariums (including special interest groups for chimpanzees, bears, birds and environmental enrichment), laboratories, ornithology (study of birds), bird training for public demonstrations, companion bird clubs and organizations, nature centers, and veterinary case studies. See my Animal Behavior and Care Resources page for more information about some of these areas.

My zoo work includes both staff and volunteer positions since 1989. While on staff, I have run a keeper training program, a lecture series and departmental volunteer activities as well as advised animal care staff on behavior issues and conducted behavior research. My volunteer work has included animal care, behavior research and animal training.

My years of experience as a psychology instructor and in staff training help me in explaining difficult behavioral concepts to clients.

 
 
Experience:
• 1995 -1999 Baltimore Zoo
Behaviorist
•
 Advised animal care staff on animal behavior issues.
•
 Coordinated animal behavior programs, including environmental enrichment, and animal observation activities.
•
 Ran Mammal Department volunteer and intern program.
•
 Conducted animal behavior research on chimps, bears, big cats, antelope and other zoo species.
•
 Conducted zoo lecture series
 
• 1991 - 1995, Bronx Zoo
Curatorial Assistant
 
•
 Coordinated Keeper Training Program along with curator of research.
 
•
 Studied the local Canada goose population.
   
• 1989 - 1991, Bronx Zoo
Bird Department Volunteer
 
•
 Researched species of Weavers & Herons
 
•
 Handled calls from pet owners regarding bird behavior issues.
   
• 1983 - 1987, Hunter College – Biopsychology Department
Psychology Instructor
 
•
 Instructed 5 semesters of Hunter College Class "Introduction to Psychology"
Responsibilities included:
-Developing Lesson Plans
-Developing Tests
-Grading Tests
     
• Hunter College – Biopsychology Department
Doctoral Candidate
 
•
 Created and maintained breeding colonies, necessary to my doctoral research
   
 
Education:
• Ph.D. in Biopsychology
The Graduate School of the City University of New York.
•
 With a specialty in Animal Behavior
Thesis on the social behavior and breeding success of zebra finches.
Graduate Coursework included:
•
 Animal Behavior
•
 Developmental Psychobiology
•
 Behavioral Ecology
•
 Learning & Experimental Psychology
•
 Hormones & Behavior    
         
• B.A. in Psychobiology
Drew University
 
•
 Major: Psychobiology
         
 
Professional Society Memberships:
• Animal Behavior Society
•
 Assistant Program Officer, 1997 to 2000
•
 Member 1988 to 2005
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association
 
•
 Member 1991 - 2001
• International Society for Applied Ethology
 
•
 Member 1997 to 2005
     
Topics and Forums:
In my last 14 years in the field I have produced over 20 scholarly presentations & publications on diverse topics including:
• The social system and breeding success of the zebra finch
• The Baltimore Zoo's Chimpanzee Forest
• Animal behavior research and science education in zoos
• Environmental enrichment for bears and chimps
• How to get weaverbirds to breed
• How a colony of boat-billed herons reacts to wing-tagging.
Although, most of my presentations have been at the Animal Behavior Society meetings, I've also presented at:
• The Conference on Reproductive Behavior
• The Neurobiology of Affiliation, sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences
• The Third International Conference on Environmental Enrichment
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA, previously AAZPA)
• ChimpanZoo
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
• The American Society of Zoologists (now called Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology)
   
Papers and Presentations
• Abramson, A., Oliva-Purdy, J., Blank, A., Grady, S., Penn, B., Smith,  M.E.,and Young, D. (September, 2001) "Chimp Challenge: It’s play with a purpose for non-human and human primates." Proceedings of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents 2001 Conference, Sept. 1 - 6, 2001, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, IL.
Click here to view paper in pdf format.
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (June, 1999) College-Level Animal Behavior Education in a Zoo Setting. Symposium paper at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, June 26 -  July 1, 1999, Lewisburg, PA.
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (March, 1998) "The bear research and enrichment project at the Baltimore Zoo" in Bear Essentials: A workshop on enrichment, education & polar bears by the AZA Bear Taxon Advisory Group, March 31 - April 1, 1998, John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids, MI
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (September, 1997) Animal Behavior Research at The Baltimore Zoo. In seminar session: The 21st Century Zoo: Roles in Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Turf Valley Seminar of the National Capital Area Branch of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, September 10 - 11, 1997, Turf Valley, MD
• Oliva-Purdy J. (September, 1997) Enrichment Assessment in the Time You Have: Don't Panic! The Third International Conference on Environmental Enrichment, September 13 - 16, 1997, Orlando, FL
• Shepherdson, D. & J. Oliva-Purdy. (June, 1997) Science Education: The View from the Zoo. Annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, June 21-26, 1997, College Park, MD
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (June, 1997) Roles of Animal Behavior Research in Zoo-based Conservation. Invited paper session organized and introduced for Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, June 21-26, 1997, College Park, MD
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (1996) An introduction to the Baltimore Zoo's Chimpanzee Forest. Oral paper presented at the annual ChimpanZoo Conference, September 28 - October 2, 1996, Topeka, KS
• Oliva-Purdy, Joanne and Cheryl F. Harding. (August, 1996) Courtship and copulation behavior in captive zebra finch colonies: male-female pairs versus non-pair nesting groups. Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, August 3-8, 1996, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
• Oliva-Purdy, J. and C.F. Harding (1996) Intra- and extra- pair behavior and initial clutch success in captive zebra finch colonies. Poster presentation at a conference, entitled The Neurobiology of Affiliation, sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences, March 14-17, 1996, Washington, DC
• Oliva-Purdy, J. & Harding, C.F. (June, 1989) The relationship between the pair bond and breeding success in zebra finches. Poster, Conference on Reproductive Behavior, Saratoga Springs, NY
• Oliva-Purdy, J. & Harding, C.F. (December, 1986) Monogamy as defined by the zebra finch. Poster, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists, Nashville, TN
   
 
Publications:
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (1998) What's Behavior Got to Do with it? (Book review of Behavioral Approaches to Conservation in the Wild. J.R. Clemmons & R. Buchholz, ed.) Zoo Biology. Vol. 17(1) pp. 43-45.
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (1998) Enrichment Assessment in the Time You Have: Don't Panic! Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Environmental Enrichment , October 12-17, 1997, Orlando, FL (eds.: Hare, V.J. & Worley K.E.) The Shape of Enrichment, Inc., 1998, pp. 61-74.
• Oliva-Purdy, J. and C.F. Harding (1997) Intra- and extra- pair behavior and initial clutch success in captive zebra finch colonies. Abstract in: The Integrative Neurobiology of Affiliation (eds.: C.S. Carter, I.I. Lederhendler, B.Kirkpatrick), Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 807, pp. 549-551
• Oliva-Purdy, J. (1996) Intra- and extra- pair behavior and productivity in captive zebra finch colonies. Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology from the Graduate School of the City University of New York .
• Oliva-Purdy, J., Elbin, S. & Sheppard, C. (1991) Effects of wing tags on boat-billed heron activity. American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums 1991 Annual Conference Proceedings (abstract)
• Oliva-Purdy, J., Walters, H., & Sheppard, C. (1990) Tackling grass problems in a weaver bird exhibit. American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums 1990 Annual Conference Proceedings (abstract)
• Oliva-Purdy, J. & Harding, C.F. (1986) Monogamy as defined by the zebra finch. American Zoologist. 26(4), 97A, (abstract).