Pamela Ashmore

Research and Teaching: Dr. Ashmore has done research in Indonesia (Sulawesi). Her research interests are in biological anthropology, primate behavior and ecology, genus Macaca, evolutionary ecology. At UM-St. Louis, in anthropology she teaches Human Origins, Primate Behavior, Primate Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Non-Western and Western Traditions, and American Culture and the Media. In the Biology Department, she teaches Evolution, Animal Behavior, and Seminar in Evolutionary Ecology.

Personal History: When she was six years old, she wanted to be a paleontologist. She was constantly on collection missions and spent her childhood in the woods collecting fossils, rocks, and living creatures. Once she entered high school, her interests shifted to cultural anthropology. As she entered college, however, she moved toward primatology as a way to combine her interest in the animal world with her interest in anthropology. In graduate school, she focused on primatology and became completely enthralled with the diversity that exists among non-human living primates. Always, her field of interest was in anthropology, and her shifts in focus have enabled her to take a relatively broad approach in her teaching.

Professional Activities: Dr. Ashmore is Associate Director for the Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity. She is also a volunteer consultant for the Jane Goodall Institute and has worked with the Girl Scouts of Greater St. Louis.

Dr. Ashmore is the Advising Coordinator for the department.