Francine Patterson
Francine Patterson (nickname Penny; born February 13, 1947 in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American psychologist and researcher . She developed a modified version of the American Sign Language for communicating with gorillas and became known for her work with the female gorilla Koko .
Life
Patterson received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1970 . In 1979 she received her PhD from Stanford University with her dissertation Linguistic Capabilities of Lowland Gorilla , on teaching the sign language Gorilla Koko and Michael, another lowland gorilla , who died in 2000.
Patterson is President and Director of Research for The Gorilla Foundation . The foundation was founded in 1978 with her long-time researcher colleague Ronald Cohn and supported by the Rolex Prize for Entrepreneurship . The Gorilla Foundation plans to move from its current home in Woodside , California to Maui , Hawaii .
Awards
Movie
- 1978: Koko: A Talking Gorilla by Barbet Schroeder
Web links
- koko.org Website of the Gorilla Foundation on Koko
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Patterson, Francine |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Patterson, Penny |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American psychologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 13, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois |