Marc Bekoff

Marc Bekoff (born September 6, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American biologist, ethologist, behavioral ecologist and writer. He is Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder and cofounder of the Jane Goodall Institute of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and cofounder of the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots program.

Education and academic career
Bekoff earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in 1967, a Master of Arts from Hofstra University in 1968, and a Ph.D. in Animal Behavior from Washington University in 1972. After completing his Ph.D., he became an assistant professor of biology at University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1973 through 1974. He went on to work at the University of Colorado Boulder as a professor of organismic biology where he pursued research into ethology, animal behavior, behavioral ecology, development and evolution of behavior. Bekoff retired from his active professorship after 32 years and currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Writing and activism
Bekoff has been described as an activist who embodies non-aggressive means. He promotes the idea that responsible assertiveness is invariably superior to aggression. He lectures internationally on animal behavior, cognitive ethology, and behavioral ecology, and writes a science column on animal emotion for Psychology Today.

Bekoff is an advocate for the compassionate conservation movement. In 2000, Bekoff and Goodall announced the formation of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (EETA) to develop and maintain the highest ethical standards in ethological research with a focus on Cognitive ethology and animal sentience. Bekoff is a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society, the Global Animal Law Association, and serves on the Science Advisory Board of Project Coyote, a national non-profit organization promoting compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science, and advocacy.

In addition to his advocacy for animals, Bekoff has also worked extensively with inmates at Boulder County Jail, teaching courses on science, compassion and ethics.

Bekoff has written, co-authored, and edited extensively for both academic and general audiences. His writing has found resonance outside academia in publications including, The New York Times, National Geographic, and Live Science. Bekoff argues that non-human animals demonstrate emotional and moral intelligence. He has written about the grieving rituals of several different species and has recently written articles expressing his belief that non-human animals have spiritual experiences.

Bekoff is a vegan. In May 2010, he argued in an article for the Greater Good Science Center, "Expanding Our Compassionate Footprint," that human beings need to abandon human exceptionalism: "Research on animal morality is blossoming, and if we can break free of theoretical prejudices, we may come to better understand ourselves and the other animals with whom we share this planet."

Selected awards

 * The Exemplar Award (2000) from the Animal Behavior Society
 * Animal Behavior Society Fellowship (1995)
 * Guggenheim Fellowship (1980)
 * The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award (2005)
 * St. Francis of Assisi Award by the New Zealand SPCA (2009)
 * Honorary member, Animalisti Italiani
 * Honorary member, Fundacion Altarriba
 * Honorary board member, Rational Animal