ESP Biography



PATRICK FREEMAN, Stanford Researcher with a Love for Pachyderms




Major: Earth Systems

College/Employer: Stanford University Earth Systems Program

Year of Graduation: 2015

Picture of Patrick Freeman

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Patrick Freeman is currently a Research Assistant at the Carnegie Institution for Washington's Department of Global Ecology on campus at Stanford. He studied Earth Systems while an undergrad at Stanford, specializing in ecology and conservation biology. As an undergrad Patrick spent several summers researching the social lives of male elephants in Namibia and tracking black rhinos in a game reserve in South Africa. As a master's student, Patrick focused his education on communicating conservation science to diverse audiences through writing, speaking, and his passion for wildlife photography. He's most recently completed an internship with Save the Elephants in northern Kenya, one of Africa's leading elephant conservation organizations, during which time he learned even more about the complex lives of elephants and the immense challenges they face. He's excited to share his love for pachyderms with all who are interested!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

B4697: Africa's Giants: The Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation of African Elephants in Splash Fall 2015 (Nov. 07 - 08, 2015)
Elephants have fascinated humans for centuries. Their immense size, their curious physiology, and most recently their complex social lives generate endless curiosity. However, humans have also heavily exploited elephants for their valuable ivory tusks and another surge in hunting for ivory threatens the future of elephants across Africa. In this class students will get the chance to learn about the ecology of elephants in their environments in Sub-Saharan Africa, fascinating facts about elephant society and social behavior, and what challenges exist to their existence in the future, especially the international trade in illegal ivory.


B3364: The Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation of African Elephants in Splash! Spring 2014 (Apr. 12 - 13, 2014)
Elephants have fascinated humans for centuries. Their immense size, their curious physiology, and most recently their complex social lives. However, humans have also heavily exploited elephants for their valuable ivory tusks and another surge in hunting for ivory threatens the future of elephants across Africa. In this class students will get the chance to learn about the ecology of elephants, some fascinating facts about their behavior, and what challenges exist to their conservation!