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 hiking with her husband and her German Shepherd, Hendrix.
Staff
Adelaide (Adi) Ruekgauer
Adi joined the HAB Lab in the Fall of 2023 as a full-time Research Coordinator. She completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she assisted in programmatic research to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. She is a lifelong horse lover with experience working with nonprofit organizations and riding clubs to instruct children and adults in horsemanship.
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.
Undergraduate Students
Maggie Clements
Maggie is a senior at the University of Arizona, double majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice Studies, with minors in Business Administration and Spanish. Maggie is joining the HAB Lab in the Fall of 2024 as a Research Assistant and will be conducting her Honors Thesis.
Taylor Elton
Taylor is a senior majoring in Psychological Sciences and minoring in Business Administration and served as a research assistant in the HAB Lab for the Spring 2024 semester. Her research interests include interpersonal relationships and well-being.
Angelina Jouault
Angelina is a senior majoring in Psychology who has been working in the HAB Lab since Fall 2023. She is accompanied by her canine companion Max (pictured), who loves coming into the lab! One of her research interests is to study the effects of animals on humans and their well-being in different aspects of their lives. Angelina’s research interests also lie in human memory and cognitive decline across the lifespan.
Samuel Phillips
Samuel L. Phillips is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in games and behavior. He has served as a research assistant since the Fall of 2023. Sam is completing his honors thesis in the HAB Lab where he is conducting a systematic literature review on the stress-buffering effects of dogs.