NKU students will research primate social skills via $257K NSF grant

Monica Wakefield, director of the anthropology and evolutionary studies programs at NKU and co-eirector of the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project (UNBP), will spearhead the research. The study will utilize a field site in Kenya to analyze baboons. The project will examine the development of social skills and timing of social patterns among baboons, and the impact of early life adversity on stress and social development.

Wakefield says this research will contribute to understanding the evolution of childhood in humans and will lay the groundwork for future research on early life adversity as a public health concern.

NKU undergraduate students will have the opportunity to conduct field research at the study site in Kenya during summer field seasons from 2025 to 2027. Field research at the UNBP site will involve studying the cortisol levels in primates and following baboons throughout each day to observe their experiences and subsequent behavioral patterns. On-campus research experience opportunities will involve working with the data from the field site, and will be available every fall and spring semester throughout the duration of the project.

“For me, this research is not only about unraveling the complexities of early social development in primates, but also about connecting these insights to broader questions of human evolution,” says Monica Wakefield. “It’s a privilege to mentor the next generation of researchers, and I’m excited to see how our findings will contribute to both scientific knowledge and student growth at NKU.”