Virginia Morell is the author of four books, and a contributing correspondent for Science and National Geographic. Her latest book, Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel, is a New York Times bestseller, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Animal Wise grew out of her article “Animal Minds” (the March 2008 National Geographic cover story), which was selected for the Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009. She’s written more than 30 stories for National Geographic since 1998, and also writes for the online news site. Her love of the natural world and her reporting keep her in close contact with leading scientists in ethology, biology, and conservation. She has a B.A. cum laude in English Literature from Pomona College, Claremont, CA; an M.A. in English Literature from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and an M.Sc in Environmental Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband, writer Michael McRae, and their collie, Buckaroo, and his cat-pal, Scout.  “I like to keep in mind the words of John Muir when I’m writing about animals: ‘Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much larger and better in every way.’ My travel and writing have afforded me many such glimpses, and I love sharing these with my readers.”

Jacqueline Munera, CCBC, PCBC, CAP2 is the owner of Positive Cattitudes, coaches clients on living with their cats and dogs, while encouraging people to push the boundaries of what they think cats are capable of.  She is an IAABC Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and has a B.A. in Honors Biological Psychology from New College of Florida, where she pursued studies on animal cognition and behavior, and thesis work on coat color as an indicator of cat personality. Jacqueline presents and publishes on a variety of cat training and behavior topics. She is especially interested in helping cats in shelter and rescue organizations and has helped multiple shelters implement cat behavior and training programs. Her most recent project, What Is My Cat Saying?, is designed to educate canine and feline professionals about cat signaling and communication. View some of her videos, including Ankle Attack, the winner of the 2007 Karen Pryor Canis Film Festival’s feline division, on her channel at www.youtube.com/user/PositiveCattitudes .

Rec0rded OnDemand lectures: Training a Cat Isn’t Like Training a Dog! Or is it?; It Takes Two: Successful cat and dog interactions and Behavior Consulting and Declawed Cats, and The Nitty Gritty of Cat Training!

Niwako Ogata is a board certified veterinary behaviorist and assistant professor of Companion Animal Behavior at Purdue University. She began her behavior career in 1997 as a private practitioner in Japan,  completed her Ph.D. at the University of Tokyo in 2007 where her dissertation focused on behavior traits in drug detector dogs, then moved to the U.S. in 2008 to complete a residency and serve as a research associate in animal behavior at Tufts University. She has been at Purdue University since 2012 where she continues to pursue her interests in mental health and well-being in companion animals and translational research between the human psychiatric field and veterinary behavior.

Recorded OnDemand lecture:  Healthy Mind, Healthy Dog

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB received his veterinary degree from the University of MN in 2002 and practiced general medicine for two years in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  He started a behavioral residency in 2004 at the University of MN and completed the remainder of his program in 2008 under the supervision of Dr. Jacqui Neilson.  He operated a house-call behavior practice in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area from 2005 until 2010 and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2010.

He is currently the owner of the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, OR, lectures regularly throughout the US and Canada, and has taught courses in veterinary behavior at the University of MN and at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.  He has published research on feline water consumption preferences, and has recently written a book chapter on Intercat Aggression for the May 2014 issue of Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice.

Recorded OnDemand Lecture: Behavioral Effects of Spaying and Neutering;
Windows of opportunity: A New Look at Canine Socialization

Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, MS, PhD, CPDT-KA is an assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. The Human-Animal Interaction Lab, directed by Dr. Protopopova, systematically explores questions of companion animal well-being, behavior, and human-animal interactions. Her research aims are 1) to improve the well-being of dogs housed in animal shelters, 2) assess and develop therapy dog programs to benefit human health and educational outcomes, and 3) improve our general understanding of animal behavior. Dr. Protopopova earned an MS and a PhD in Behavior Analysis from University of Florida and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and is a frequent presenter in scientific and professional conferences. Dr. Protopopova spends her days conducting behavioral research, teaching university classes in Animal Shelter Management, and cuddling dogs.

Dr. Protopopova’s recorded lectures –

Ethology and Canine Behavior Lecture:  Science and the Shelter Dog: How Do We Improve Adoption?

The Science of the Meet-and-Greet to Increase Dog Adoptions in Shelters