Mar 11, 2014 01:07 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

As she's been for a good portion of her life since famously immersing herself with a group of chimpanzees in Tanzania,  Jane Goodall is on the road, speaking to colleges across the country about her life, the experience with chimps, conservationism, and more, the Iowa City Press Citizen reported.

"There is so much left to discover," Goodall said at her latest stop, the University of Iowa, where over 5,000 people listened to her speak (for free) on Monday.

Goodall made her Tanzania trip in the 1960s, a time when scientists didn't believe animals shared personality traits similar to humans.

At first, the chimpanzees were hesitant to recognize her.

"They'd never seen a white ape before; they'd take one look at me and vanish into the vegetation," Goodall said.

As she was able to gain their trust, Goodall observed behavior -- such as using tools and expressing emotions -- scientists didn't believe possible. Even when she returned with her findings, some continued to question her. Enough people understood the significance of her work to offer her education and funding, including the University of Cambridge for her PHD and National Geographic to continue her research. The grant from Nat Geo enabled Goodall and her team to organize many more previously undocumented behaviors demonstrated by chimpanzees.

"After a few months, it became so clear we humans are not the only personalities on the planet," Goodall said her Tanzania experience.

Later, Goodall would open the Jane Gooddall Institute for the study and protection of chimpanzees. Her life's work centered around her devotion to chimpanzees and the greater environment.

"Hundreds of thousands of people around the world can break through and make it a better world for all living things," she said.

The 79 year-old Goodall will next speak at the University of Nebraska on March 20, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit