RITA BELLANCA

Rita, Vice Chair of D2C, is currently the Head of Behavioral Management at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC). She began as a student researcher in 1989, and was hired full-time in 1991, focusing on non-human primate cognition and behavior. In 1997, Rita co-created the WaNPRC’s inaugural Psychological Well-Being Program (now called Behavioral Management), based upon years of research in said field. As the Head of Behavioral Management, it is her job to help increase psychological well-being and reduce stress in our primate population by overseeing and/or implementing social contact, environmental enrichment, and other therapies, as well as by promoting natural species-specific behaviors. Strategies that don’t differ all that drastically from tools used to ameliorate compassion fatigue in humans!

Rita trains incoming personnel on primate behavior and as such, suggests strategies to promote a positive caregiver-to-animal bond. Due to Rita working so closely with the animals, often following them for years, Rita has experienced compassion fatigue herself. Also, since she works so closely with the animal care staff, she recognizes it in others, which is why she jumped at the chance to join the UW’s first Compassion Fatigue (CF) Program.