ABEC Research Opportunities

A student placing a hellbender into a plastic tub

Students have the opportunity to work with world-class scholars on a variety of topics including captive wildlife, companion animals, conservation, and the human-animal bond.  By engaging in hands on research projects with faculty, students can gain valuable experience in quantitative and qualitative research methodology. Depending on the faculty member the student is working with, skills may include observational data collection, video or picture coding, habitat assessment, hormonal assays, survey design, and interview analysis. 

Many of our students receive funding from the Canisius Earning Excellence Program (CEEP), and go on to present their findings at the college's Ignatian Scholarship Day and at national and international conferences. Each year, select students travel to national conferences, such as the Animal Behavior Society meeting, to present their work. ABEC students may even work with faculty to publish their findings. In the last several years, 11 students have appeared as co-authors on papers published in peer-reviewed journals. 

Students interested in joining a research team can find out more information about each faculty member's research interests by visiting their webpages. Students can make an appointment with each faculty member individually to discuss research opportunities and arrange an opportunity to shadow their research team.