Peter H. Klopfer interview

Abstract

Peter H. Klopfer was born August 9, 1930 in Berlin, Germany. He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1952 and his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1957. In 1958, Professor Klopfer came to Duke as Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology (now Dept. of Biology). In 1967, he was promoted to Professor. His area of research is animal behavior and behavioral ecology, and he was instrumental in launching the primate center at Duke. Klopfer retired in 2006 as Professor Emeritus, however, he continues to conduct research, travel and teach seminars, with his current project focusing on sleep and hibernation behavior in prosimian primates. In this interview, he recalls his decision to come to Duke University, his first impressions of North Carolina, the Duke University campus, and of the student population in the late 1950s. Of particular interest is his recollection of coming to the South during the Civil Rights Movement. He also speaks about how his research, teaching philosophy, his interaction with students, and the student body have changed over the course of his tenure at Duke. Lastly, he reflects how working for Duke and being part of the Duke community has directly impacted him.