An innovative Husson University course designed to help students critically explore the connections among animals, humans and society has been recognized nationally for its approach to teaching. Dr. Taylor Rezvani and Online and Distance Education Senior Instructional Designer Corey J. Butler received the Clifton Bryant Animals & Society Course Award for Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society.
The Animals and Society Section of the American Sociological Association presents the award to courses demonstrating outstanding design in the study of human-animal relationships. Husson’s course distinguished itself in a competitive field through its combination of disciplines, attention to perspectives from around the world and integration of reflexive learning. Students practice reflexivity by considering how their personal identities, experiences and assumptions affect the knowledge they develop.
Serving as the gateway course for Husson’s Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare master’s degree program, Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society was created using the Understanding by Design framework. The course gives students an active role in developing and sharing knowledge. Each student selects an audience, interaction, culture and species to explore before synthesizing international cultural perspectives through a structured literature review. The learning experience concludes with an Anthrozoological Visiting Scholar Welcome Talk. The process encourages students to critically assess their biases and research approaches while preparing them for professional opportunities in animal care, policy, advocacy and research.
Rezvani has spent 20 years working in veterinary practices and animal behavior education. She holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Washington State University, where her studies brought together biology, education and psychology. She co-founded a nonprofit focused on canine-human interaction outreach and serves as education committee chair for the Human Animal Bond Association. At Husson, she has helped develop 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.