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Early Career Scholar (EC) Award Winner:
Kerri Rodriguez, PhD
Dr. Kerri Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of Human-Animal Interaction in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona. As the director of the Human-Animal Bond lab (HAB Lab), her research explores the role and impacts of the human-animal bond for both human and animal wellbeing across a variety of settings, populations, and contexts. Dr. Rodriguez received her Ph.D. in Human-Animal Interaction from the Purdue University Center for the Human-Animal Bond in 2020 and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the Human-Animal Bond In Colorado at Colorado State University before joining the University of Arizona in 2023. Her research projects have spanned investigating the benefits of assistance dogs for individuals with disabilities, quantifying the role of therapy and facility dogs on staff and client wellbeing, and exploring the potential stress-buffering effects of positive interactions with animals. Her work has been highlighted in media outlets such as the BBC, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and National Geographic. Dr. Rodriguez has served on the board of the International Society for Anthrozoology since 2019 and serves on several advisory boards including Fetch Pet Insurance, Pet Partners, and American Humane. She is also on the editorial board of the journals Human-Animal Interactions and Frontiers in Veterinary Science.