Caption: Dr. Lauren Highfill helping to train dogs at Eckerd College.
Photo credit: Eckerd College
I am humbled to be serving as the President-elect for Division 6. I have been a member of Division 6 since graduate school and am excited to serve in this important way. For those who do not know me (probably many of you!), I am a Professor of Psychology and Animal Studies at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of my graduate mentor, the late Stan Kuczaj, who served as the Division 6 President in 2014-15. I am excited to continue the hard work of the division’s leadership with a focus on inclusion, diversity, and outreach to education. As a professor at a small, liberal arts college, I am especially dedicated to raising the profile of comparative psychology and behavioral neuroscience at the undergraduate level. Also, I would like to continue the division’s advocacy work for the importance of animal research. As someone who does most of my research with animals housed in zoos and aquariums, I think it is important for these non-traditional “lab” spaces to be included in the conversation more broadly. I am so grateful for the support and guidance of our past president, Tony, and current president, Amanda, as I look towards stepping into this role in August. If any of our members have any questions or ideas for the division, please reach out. I look forward to seeing you at the convention this summer!