Dr. Fortier is a university professor and cofounder of the Animal Behavior Institute. In his 30 years as a professional educator he has held faculty positions at multiple universities, including Boston University and Indiana University. He has been an active proponent of applied learning, serving on the editorial board for the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. He has been active in promoting diverse teaching methodologies and the widespread use of outcomes assessment.

Dr. Fortier is the former Director of Behavioral Enrichment at the Elmwood Park Zoo and he continues to conduct research on behavioral enrichment to improve the welfare of animals in captivity. His recent students have worked on the reducing fear in captive birds and evaluating cognitive functions in lizards.