Research Highlights

Kitten Training Classes? New Research Suggests Cat Stereotypes are Just That

Kristyn Vitale, a graduate research fellow in OSU’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab, or HAI Lab, loves cats. She plays with them, talks to them, and, most importantly, studies them. It turns out we know rather little about cat cognition. Science has a lot left to tell us about the best way to communicate with our feline friends, including whether or not they even consider us friends at all. And this is where the research at the HAI Lab comes in. A study they are currently conducting aims to shed some light on the ways in which cats and humans socialize with one another. Not only that, but as part of the study, free kitten-training classes are given, providing a foundation for communication between owners and cats. This is research that has not been done before, and, looking at the numbers, is sorely needed.  Read more in the Corvallis Advocate >

Studying the Ecology and Hydrology of Western Juniper

History and ongoing research on the long-term paired watershed study in central Oregon were discussed during the OSU Range Field Day that focused on the ecology and hydrology of western juniper ecosystems. Morning presentations by OSU researchers Carlos Ochoa, Phil Caruso, Tim Deboodt, and Michael Fisher (COCC) were followed by a guided tour to the study site.  Read more...