“We do everything you can imagine to help primary schools,” Ross said.

According to Michelle A. Sirois ’12, who worked with the Kasiisi Project this summer, the project has taught students about conservation and has also improved literacy and initiated health and sanitary programs at local schools.

“That day was a testament to how much she means to the community and how much she can give to the community,” Sirois said of the ceremony where Ross received a chicken.

Caroline D. J. Riss, the interim field director for the Kasiisi Project, echoed Sirois’ statement about Wrangham and Ross’ presence in Uganda. Since they have been going to Uganda for over 20 years, sometimes with their three sons, they have an “unbelievable presence around Kibale National Park,” Riss wrote in an email. “Dr. Ross and Professor Wrangham cannot go anywhere without being stopped by villagers, researchers, friends and acquaintances for greetings and thanks.”

Emily Otali, the project manager of the Kibale Chimpanzee Project who named her daughter after Ross, was a former Ph.D. student of  Wrangham’s and is now chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Kasiisi Project.

According to Otali, “Richard is the more quiet person and leaves Elizabeth to deal with everything,” but the local Ugandans say that Wrangham is the most “honest white person ever.”

Machanda said that Wrangham and Ross are very relaxed when they are in Uganda.

“He kind of lets it go a little bit. We’ll just have beers on the front porch and we can watch the animals go by,” Machanda said. “You can see their stress levels decrease,” especially Wrangham’s.

Although Ross is very busy managing the Kasiisi Project while she is in Uganda—“going to schools, meeting with parents and scholars, checking out the accounts, supervising and appraising all the project’s activities,” Otali wrote—she makes time to cook, and do “girly things,” like getting pedicures and dinner with Otali.

Locals come to Ross to ask for help, usually asking for money, and though Ross cannot give money to everyone, she does her best to help when possible, Otali wrote.

For Wrangham, “the single most exciting experience was living with the hunter-gatherers for 10 days.”

In Tanzania, Wrangham lived with a group of hunter-gatherers called the Hadza and worked on filming a documentary, as they are the last hunter-gatherers whose way of life has remained intact over the years.

WELCOME HOME

Although Wrangham said it is always hard coming back from sabbatical, where he got to set his own agenda, “it is wonderful being back in every way.”

Wrangham and Ross said that the first two years as House masters were a steep learning curve, but coming back now was familiar.