The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is advancing awareness and understanding of the interrelationships among people, other animals and the environment. Keep up with the latest news about IHAC and our work related to human-animal-environment interactions.
What's New at IHAC
November 13, 2024
Dr. Kevin Morris Featured Speaker for University of Denver's R1: Research with Impact Lecture Series
Dr. Kevin Morris, IHAC's Executive Director, has been selected as a speaker for the University of Denver's R1: Research with Impact Lecture Series, which highlights cutting-edge research being conducted at the DU campus. Join us on November 13, in-person on the University of Denver campus at 6:30 PM MT, to hear about the latest IHAC research from Dr. Morris!
Our amazing research team has a new publication out! It is titled, “The Presence of a Pet Dog Is Associated with a More Balanced Response to a Social Stressor.”
In this randomized control study, we examined whether a pet dog’s presence influenced healthy adults’ acute stress response by looking at self-reports, heart rate, and other biological factors such as plasma cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase. Our findings revealed that participants with their pet dogs had significantly lower heart rates, lower plasma cortisol responses, and higher salivary alpha-amylase responses than people without their dogs, indicating that the presence of a pet dog may support a healthy stress response. This study is the FIRST to suggest that dogs may support a balanced, intermediate stress response capacity.
Join Our Self-Paced Orientation to Human-Animal Interactions Course!
IHACPro's Orientation to Human-Animal Interactions professional development course is a great starting place for students to gain an introduction to the variety of applications and research in this field. It is completely self-paced, and contains five modules worth of content that includes examinations of how human-animal interactions can be incorporated into micro, mezzo, and macro career fields, the power of the human-animal bond, terminology, and practical applications.
All IHACPro offerings are consistently updated to feature the latest research in the field to ensure you are receiving the most updated best practices and science-backed concepts. Join us today! No application necessary.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is excited to welcome Betty Jean Curran to the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health (AHH) professional development certificate program. Curran is a Licensed Master Social Worker, educator, and writer with a passion for program design and evaluation.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is pleased to welcome Maureen Huang to the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health certificate program. Huang is the founder of Pawsibility, a private practice in Singapore that specializes in animal-assisted therapy. She often works alongside her canine co-therapists to bring insights that change the way people think, behave and feel.
The Humane Education Practitioner Certificate was developed to help professionals learn about humane education and design a high-quality humane education program and interventions. IHAC is interested in humane education because it is a systems approach to creating a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world for the health and well-being of people, animals, and the natural environment.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is excited to announce Heather Pugh has joined the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health professional development certificate program. Pugh is the first occupational therapist to join the teaching team, and she brings over 20 years of experience of including animals in her occupational therapy work.
Mara-Daria Cojocaru spent her first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom thinking of new ways to combine her academic and creative work to be of relevance outside of her usual circles. She refers to her new work as animal-assisted philosophy. Cojocaru sought out the Animals and Human Health (AHH) professional development certificate to learn more about our complex relationships with animals and how animal-assisted interventions can be successful.
The human-animal-environment interactions in social work (HAEI-SW) certificate of specialization, formerly known as animal-assisted social work, prepares MSW students at GSSW to recognize the importance and impact of human-animal-environment interactions (HAEIs) in culturally responsive and ethically advanced professional social work practice settings.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is pleased to welcome Jen VonLintel as one of the newest members of our adjunct faculty teaching team for the Animals and Human Health Certificate. Jen VonLintel, MS, is a licensed school counselor in Loveland, Colorado, specializing in animal-assisted interventions (AAI) in school settings. She has a passion for learning about the human-animal bond and building programs that benefit her school community.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is excited to welcome Dr. Kevin Morris into the role of Executive Director beginning June 1, 2021. Kevin has served as IHAC's Director of Research since 2016. In addition, Kevin is a Research Associate Professor and the American Humane Endowed Chair at the Graduate School of Social Work. Kevin has overseen the development of IHAC's robust research agenda and looks forward to leading the Institute into the next chapter.
Signature Events
Research Seminar Series
Our quarterly seminars feature a wide variety of speakers and topics with an emphasis on early career professionals and social justice issues.
The IHAC conferences and the Green Chimneys' conferences present the latest research, best practices, and future directions of human-animal-environment interactions, and inspires attendees to rethink human relationships with other animals.
