Faculty

Kristina O'Hanley, MSc, PhD Candidate

Assistant Professor of Practice in Companion Animal Science

Kristina supports the companion animal science concentration with her expertise in animal sheltering, training and welfare topics. Kristina helps prepare undergraduate students for companion animal industry careers in animal behavior/training, animal shelter management and animal welfare through teaching and training.

Dr. Anastasia Stellato, PhD

Assistant Professor in Companion Animal Science 

Anastasia is the PI of the TTU Human-Animal Interaction Lab. Her research uses an epidemiological approach to evaluate companion animal welfare, the human-animal bond, and mental wellness of humans to improve the human-animal relationship within various applied environments. For further information please see her lab website and AFS departmental webpage.

Dr. Nathaniel Hall, PhD

Associate Professor of Companion Animal Science

Nathan is the PI of the Canine Olfaction Research and Education Lab. His research explores the capabilities of the dog's nose and how training influences olfactory perception. For more information, please visit his lab website.

Dr. Edgar Aviles-Rosa, PhD

Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior & Welfare

 Dr. Aviles-Rosa is an Assistant professor of Animal Welfare and Behavior, the co-director of the Canine Olfaction Research and Education Lab (CORE), and the director of the Laboratory of Animal Welfare, Olfaction, and Behavior solutions at Texas Tech University. He earned his BS and MS at the University of Puerto Rico and his PhD in animal welfare and behavior from Texas Tech University in 2019. Altogether he has over 10 years of experience conducting behavior and welfare research in different domestic animal species including dogs, cats, pigs, and sheep. His research focuses in understanding how housing and management procedures affect animals’ welfare and in understanding the olfactory capabilities of detection dogs.