A Husson University course that challenges students to examine human-animal relationships from cultural, global and interdisciplinary perspectives has received a national course design award. Dr. Taylor Rezvani and Corey J. Butler were selected for the Clifton Bryant Animals & Society Course Award for their work on Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society.
Presented by the Animals and Society Section of the American Sociological Association, the Clifton Bryant award recognizes exceptional teaching and course design focused on the study of relationships between humans and animals. The Husson course was selected from a competitive group of submissions for its interdisciplinary structure, global scope and emphasis on reflexivity, which asks students to critically examine the ways their identities and assumptions influence their understanding of a subject.
The course is the introductory offering for Husson’s Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare master’s degree program. Based on the Understanding by Design framework, Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society encourages students to take an active role in the learning process. Students choose an audience, interaction, culture and species for study and then examine global cultural perspectives through a structured literature review. The course concludes with an Anthrozoological Visiting Scholar Welcome Talk. Students also evaluate their own biases and research practices as they develop knowledge applicable to careers in animal care, policy, advocacy and research.
Rezvani brings 20 years of experience in veterinary practices and animal behavior education to her role at Husson. She earned an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Washington State University, combining biology, education and psychology. She is a co-founder of a nonprofit focused on canine-human interaction outreach and serves as education committee chair for the Human Animal Bond Association. Her work at Husson includes helping establish the undergraduate Animal Care and Behavior program and the graduate Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program.
Butler brings more than a decade of experience in asynchronous online curriculum development and has been instrumental in building Husson’s animal studies programs.
Rezvani and Butler will be recognized at the Animals and Society Section’s Human-Animal Futures in a Changing World mini-conference, following the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting on August 12 at New York University.
Prospective students interested in the field can learn more about the Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program at Husson Online.
For more than 128 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders through innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson offers quality educational programs in areas including emerging technologies; business; finance; education; animal care; legal studies; healthcare; science and humanities; and communication. For more information about educational opportunities, visit Husson.edu.
