Professor in the Zoo

Professor in the Zoo presents a vision for future zoos and aquariums based on the author's forty years of experience as a zoological leader and a university scholar. Dr. Terry L. Maple was the reform CEO of Zoo Atlanta where he transformed the zoo into one of the most innovative zoos in the world. Dr. Maple is known worldwide for his advocacy of empirical, ethical zoos where the welfare of the animals is the first priority. His research on the construct of wellness has provided opportunities to design zoos of exceptional quality where animals are encouraged to thrive. Dr. Maple is the coauthor of Zoo Animal Welfare (Springer 2013), Gorilla Behavior (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982), the author of Saving the Giant Panda (Longstreet, 2000), and the co-editor of Ethics on the Ark (Smithsonian, 1995). He is the founding editor of the journal Zoo Biology and a former Chair of the board for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Dr. Maple is Elizabeth S. Watts Professor of Conservation & Behavior Emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Director Emeritus of Zoo Atlanta, and Professor in Residence at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens. He is currently affiliated with Florida Atlantic University and the University of North Florida. At Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Florida Atlantic University, he supervised 31 doctoral-level students, many of whom are working in North American zoos. An expert on the psychobiology of nonhuman primates, he and his students have authored more than 250 scholarly publications. He is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association of Psychological Science. He was educated at the University of the Pacific, the University of Stockholm, and the University of California at Davis. He is a leadership consultant to aquariums, zoos, and other non-profit institutions and currently resides on Amelia Island in Florida.