Master’s in Animal Science and Behavior

Animal Ethogram

In the Animal Ethogram assignment, students are asked to pick an animal they can observe, and make a list of their behaviors. If students don’t have an animal in their local environment that they feel comfortable observing, they have a list of different live streams from the Zoo to the Smithsonian, where they can choose an animal to observe. Students must decide how trainers should adjust their training protocol based on feedback they receive from the animal as well as how to identify environmental contingencies in training and how to set up your environment to reach your training goals.

Training & Care Handbook

Students are challenged to create a handbook that demonstrates proper techniques for both training & care of animals for a made-up organization. This project allows the students to practice their knowledge of the coursework they’ve learned throughout the term, as well as asking them to present best practices in the field. Students create a training philosophy, present instructions and describe reinforcement tools and techniques.

XR Animal Behavior Assessment

Learning how to handle animals before students are prepared can be dangerous for both the animal and the handler. The Unity College XR Innovation Lab has developed a simulation where students can interact safely with an animal and study how they react to their handling tactics In this assignment students will learn how to recognize animal body language and behavior, assess how human behavior impacts animal behavior, how to respond appropriately to animal body language and behavior, conduct an animal behavior assessment and identify low-stress handling techniques for human-animal interaction.

Dr. Kristyn Vitale

Assistant Professor in Animal Health and Behavior

Dr. Kristyn Vitale received a Ph.D. in Animal Science with a focus in Experimental Psychology from Oregon State University and a Master’s in Environmental Science from Miami University. She holds a B.S. in Zoology and a B.A. in Social Geography from Kent State University.

Dr. Vitale studies the impact of human interaction on animal behavior and cognition to find ways to strengthen human-animal relationships and improve animal welfare. One example of her current animal research is the study of the effects of different foster care programs and the effects it has on domestic animals. She is also working on cross-cultural research; how the human-cat relationship varies from the USA to Japan.

In addition to animal behavior research, Dr. Vitale also has experience training cats, dogs, and pigs. Her experience with animal training & continued research in the field of animal behavior is valuable to her students as she provides continuous current data and best practices for working in the field.