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
Starts August 21
Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist Certificate Program Starts Soon!
The Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist certificate program provides comprehensive education, training, and practical experience with dogs so you can successfully and ethically incorporate canines into your professional treatment strategies. At the end of our program, you will have a deeper understanding of the needs of your canine partners, you will have practiced training dogs for specific skills helpful in human-animal interactions, and you will have increased knowledge of the ethics and standards involved in working effectively and humanely with dogs in your practice.
This program is 100% online, asynchronous, and led by expert instructors.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection’s study on social stressors found evidence to support the hypothesis that the presence of a pet dog can assist in a healthy stress response. This study was the FIRST of its kind to test levels on multiple physiological systems, allowing us to come to the presumption that dogs may be able to support a balanced, intermediate stress response. Instead of just reducing the stress response, a dog can actually help to maintain balanced stress levels.
As associate director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Erica Elvove champions a holistic approach to social work that includes humans, animals and the environment.
Peter Wolf is a research and policy analyst with Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit animal welfare organization that focuses on outreach to promote pet adoption, animal shelters that minimize euthanasia and spay-and-neuter education. Peter, like many we have talked to in the animal welfare field, came to his work with community cats by a somewhat unconventional route. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, he did not have pets in his home but was always fascinated by and bonded with community cats.
Can saving companion animal lives improve the economy? In the first study of its kind, the GSSW Institute for Human-Animal Connection is investigating the economic impacts of a no-kill animal shelter policy.
A conservation social work course took Graduate School of Social Work students to Kenya, where they discovered how the lives of humans and threatened species intersect.
Signature Events
Research Seminar Series
Our quarterly seminars feature a wide variety of speakers and topics with an emphasis on social justice issues.
The IHAC and Green Chimneys co-hosted 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.
