I am a PhD candidate in social psychology at the University of Arizona. I hold a BA in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University and an MS in the psychology of human-animal interaction from Purdue University. My career focuses on the role of service dog partnerships in biopsychosocial outcomes for people with disabilities. From 2010-2021, I worked for the world’s largest service dog provider, Canine Companions. I am an Assistance Dogs International (ADI) Certified Service Dog Instructor and, in 2016, I was promoted to the leadership role of National Director of Training and Client Services. In 2021, recognizing a need to build the empirical evidence base underlying the service dog intervention, I joined the Organization for Human-Animal Interaction Research Education (OHAIRE) under Dr. Maggie O’Haire as a PhD student. My research leverages a transdisciplinary approach to translate service dog partners’ lived experiences into actionable data. I am a University of Arizona One Health Research Fellow, a member of Psi Chi International Honor Society, and recipient of the 2024 APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.
