Director: Dr. Kerri Rodriguez
Dr. Kerri Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. As the director of the HAB Lab, her research explores the role and impacts of the human-animal bond for both human and animal well-being across a variety of settings, populations, and contexts. Dr. Rodriguez received her Ph.D. in Human-Animal Interaction from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020, completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the Human-Animal Bond In Colorado at Colorado State University, and joined the University of Arizona in 2023. She has led projects investigating the benefits of assistance dogs for individuals with disabilities, the effects of therapy and facility dogs on staff and client/patient wellbeing, and the potential stress-buffering effects of dogs. Her work has been highlighted in media outlets such as the BBC, Washington Post, New York Magazine, People Magazine, and National Geographic.
Dr. Rodriguez is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of human-animal interaction, with appointments on the advisory boards of Fetch Pet Insurance, Pet Partners, and American Humane. She has served on the board of the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) since 2019 and is on the editorial board of the journals Human-Animal Interactions and Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Dr. Rodriguez has also served as a subject matter expert for leading HAI organizations, including the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) and the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAIP). She has authored several book chapters in human-animal interaction textbooks, including the Handbook on Human-Animal Interactions, Interventions, and Anthrozoology, The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders, and Transforming Trauma: Finding Resiliency and Healing Through Animals. In her free time, she loves spending times outdoors and meeting as many dogs as she can!
Graduate Students
Molly Delzio
Molly Delzio is a PhD student in the HAB Lab, pursuing research on the bidirectional therapeutic effect of human-animal bonds. She completed her BS in Psychological & Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara and has a background in VA mindful movement intervention implementation and evaluation. Through research on service dogs, facility animals, and pet companionship, she hopes to be a driving force for public education and acceptance of equitable one health-informed policy.
Staff
Dr. Nicole Lorig
Dr. Lorig is a postdoctoral research associate working collaboratively with the HAB and BRAY labs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona. She received her MS and PhD from The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences. Her research experience and interest spans across a variety of species, populations, and contexts, including investigating the influence of music on pigs, developing equine extension education for youth, and most recently, exploring the multi-faceted and bidirectional influence of equine assisted services on trauma-exposed individuals and their equine partners. Throughout her graduate education, Nicole also spent multiple semesters teaching Animal Science courses designed to promote positive human-animal interactions across a variety of agricultural and companion animal species. Her collective experiences have made her eager to pursue a career elucidating the roles that humans and animals play in each other’s lives and is excited to do this as a member of the HAB and BRAY labs!
Adi Ruekgauer
Adi joined the HAB Lab shortly after its start in 2023 as our Research Coordinator. She completed her BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she served as the lead research assistant on a variety of behavior-based research lines. She is a near-lifelong horseback rider with experience in nonprofit and advocacy work, including policy lobbying efforts on behalf of large nonprofit organizations. In the HAB Lab, she is delighted to be a (small) part of nearly all of the research we collect.
Jon Logan-Rung
Jon joined the HAB Lab in the Fall of 2024 as a Research Technician. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in English from the University of Arizona. His primary research interest is childhood trauma and its psychological, neurological, and physiological impacts throughout the lifespan. He hopes to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology and spend his time delivering, researching, and writing about trauma interventions.
Pets of The HAB Lab
Hendrix
Hendrix is a 7 year old German Shepherd that belongs to Dr. Rodriguez. His research interests include barking to protect his mom from people who try to deliver packages to his house and playing with his brothers Ringo & Ziggy.
Ringo
Ringo is a 5 year old Orange Tabby that belongs to Dr. Rodriguez. His research interests include laying in the sun and eating.
Ziggy
Ziggy is an Orange Tabby kitten that belongs to Dr. Rodriguez. His research interests include being a maniac and chirping at birds from his window perch.
Copper
Copper is an 8 year old Puggle that belongs to Adi. His research interests include chasing lizards and going on car rides.
Skye and Jojo
Skye and Jojo are 2 year old bonded sisters that belong to Molly. Their research interests include escaping the house and yelling for attention while running on the cat wheel.
Daisy
Daisy is an 8 year old Shepherd mix that belongs to Dr. Lorig. Her research interests include chasing any sports ball at maximum speed, showing off her inanimate object to anyone who will look, and giving as many slobbery kisses as possible.
Cora
Cora is a 4 year old Shepherd mix that belongs to Dr. Lorig. Her research interests include exploring any outdoor environment in hopes of finding small creatures, snuggling under the blankets, and taste testing any potentially edible item.
Lab Alumni
Lily Kaplan, Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Maggie Clements, Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Taylor Elton, Spring 2024
Samuel Phillips, Fall 2023 – Spring 2024
Angelina Jouault, Fall 2023