by Susan Howard, ’10 and ’15

Rebecca Brittain knows the best way to follow an orangutan.

It sounds simple: “Find one, stay with them until they make their nest at night, and take a GPS coordinate of their nest,” said Brittain, ’10 and ’15. And Brittain would know, having spent the past year in Borneo, Indonesia, conducting field research at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station.

Shortly after earning a master’s degree in biology from Grand Valley, Brittain traveled to Indonesia to conduct field research in preparation for a doctoral study with Rutgers University. The ongoing research at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station is a collaboration among Rutgers University, University of Zurich in Switzerland, and Universitas Nasional in Indonesia.

Research at the station includes learning more about orangutan behavior in the wild, and on the detrimental effects of habitat degradation that often leads to orphaned, injured or displaced orangutans. Brittain and her advisor are researching the health and nutrition of orangutans, and Brittain is particularly focused on the gut microbes of the animals, which are tightly linked to health and nutrition.

Brittain said a better understanding of orangutan health and behavior will lead to a better understanding of how human influences on their environments may impact orangutan health. Such work is more critical than ever as Bornean orangutans were recently reclassified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one level away from extinction.

During her year of field research in Borneo, Brittain collected pilot data for what will turn into her doctoral dissertation and help the well-being of orangutans. She also learned to speak Indonesian, gained critical knowledge of the Bornean forests, and developed a respect for the local research assistants.

“I learned more from the research assistants than from anyone else in my training,” Brittain said. “We have to learn about the trees, leaves and fruits the orangutans are eating. Everything is always changing with the seasons and the locals know the forest really well.”

Brittain’s love of travel and her journey to Borneo grew while she served in the Air Force after graduating from high school. Over five years, Brittain’s military service sent her to the Middle East, South Korea, Guam, and a few stateside bases. After her discharge, Brittain enrolled in Grand Valley using the Veterans’ education benefits.

Brittain earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. She also conducted research while studying abroad. It was at a field school in Costa Rica where she got her first experience with non-human primates. She also participated in Grand Valley’s Student Summer Scholars program and traveled with an advisor to Chimp Haven in Louisiana for her project. Chimp Haven is a nonprofit facility that provides a home to chimpanzees once used in laboratory research, kept as pets, or used in entertainment.

After her undergraduate years at Grand Valley, Brittain traveled to South Africa to work with baboons. She gained research experience at the Wild Cliff Nature Reserve in the Western Cape.

Following her time in South Africa, Brittain returned to Grand Valley and began working on a master’s degree in biology. She conducted master’s level research in Cayo Santiago in Puerto Rico. Her research focused on the relationship between eating clay and intestinal parasite loads, so she collected fecal samples and brought them back to Grand Valley labs for analysis.

Brittain had a graduate assistantship with the Research Protections Program at Grand Valley, which eventually led to a staff position. Brittain worked for two committees on campus: the Institutional Review Board and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. These committees review research proposals from faculty members or students who want to use humans or animals in their research, making sure the proposals are compliant with federal, local and university regulations.

“It was an amazing experience,” Brittain said. “Not many graduate students are exposed to research ethics on that level.”

Brittain said she is thankful that Grand Valley set her on a global path, and added her liberal education prepared her well.

“Being required to take courses in different areas of study gives you different perspectives. It helps you put yourself in someone else’s shoes,” she said. “I’m always going somewhere for research, but it’s the people that make me feel connected to a place. The people become your family and are always the hardest part of leaving.”

College of Education

The College of Education Alumni Chapter volunteered time at the seventh annual Story Time event in Grand Rapids. Story Time provides free books and ice cream to attendees.

All-Alumni golf outing

The Alumni Association hosted its annual outing on July 16 at the Meadows Golf Course. More than 100 alumni golfers traveled to participate in the friendly scramble. The outing raised more than $10,000 for the GVSU Pathway Scholarships, which assists students from middle income families who do not qualify for federal need-based aid and are ineligible for government programs.

Alumni football outing

From June 24-25 Laker football alumni gathered for a reunion weekend. About 100 participants took over The B.O.B. in Grand Rapids on June 24 for a reception; a golf outing was held June 25 at the Meadows Golf Course, including a celebration of the 2002 and 2003 national championship teams.

Jamie Hosford Memorial golf outing

The third annual Jamie Hosford Memorial golf outing was held at Boulder Creek Golf Club on July 15; 36 teams and more than 60 guests celebrated the life and legacy of Hosford. Participants generated nearly $30,000 for the Hosford scholarship.

Engineering reception

Grand Valley celebrated 30 years of the engineering co-op program with a reception at the Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids. Students were able to share their creative solutions for leading companies, while alumni learned about the next generation of engineering talent. The night celebrated the collaboration and partnership that have led to three decades of successful Grand Valley engineering alumni.

Enrichment Dinner 2016

The Enrichment Dinner at the DeVos Place recognized, thanked and celebrated 1,500 members of the Grand Valley family. Community members and alumni play a tremendous role in the Laker Effect, and the positive changes happening both on- and off-campus. It was a night to celebrate donors whose contributions make lifelong impressions.