As an MA student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Isa aims to use behavioral observations of Costa Rican white-faced capuchin monkeys to identify inter- and intra-individual differences in alpha male “dominance style” at Santa Rosa. These differences may be influenced by the environment, and they have the potential to impact the behavior, health, and reproductive success of alpha males and their subordinate groupmates. Isa hopes that her thesis project will ultimately help uncover some of the currently unknown patterns and consequences associated with the flexible dominance tactics of primate males—adding to our collective understanding of the evolution of leadership in long-lived mammals like capuchin monkeys and humans.

Isa’s previous research includes identifying links between the social strategies and reproductive tactics of aging male chimpanzees using long-term data from the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, and investigating the impacts of interspecies competition on the foraging behavior and nutritional ecology of Costa Rican leafcutter ants in the Traniello Lab at Boston University.

Outside of science, Isa is passionate about STEAM outreach. At Tufts, she co-founded an art-science initiative for undergraduate students called LABLINES and completed a senior thesis exhibition showcasing the complex beauty of insect behavior through portrait painting. She is now helping create educational materials for schoolchildren as a Conservation Education Artist for the New England Primate Conservancy.

Check out her personal website to learn more about her work, or feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn. She is always happy to chat about science and/or art, and can be reached via email at Isabella.Arabia@my.utsa.edu.