About us

Principal Investigator

Dr. Anastasia Stellato

I joined the Department of Animal and Food Sciences in Spring 2021. I use epidemiological methods to study applied animal behavior and welfare. My research evaluates 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 my departmental homepage.

Graduate Students

Alissa Cisneros - PhD Student

Alissa is a PhD student in Animal Science. She was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas and completed her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with concentrations in Pre-Vet and Companion Animal Science at Texas Tech University in December 2021. During her undergraduate career, she was active in various labs on campus exploring animal behavior and the human-animal relationship, with projects exploring owner perceptions of dog handling in veterinary clinic as well as owner demographic, management, and cat demographic impacts on unwanted scratching. Alissa recently graduated from her MS program where she investigated the impact of common handling and restraint methods on dogs during routine exams. Durnig her PhD, she hopes to continue researching ways to improve welfare for companion animals in applied settings, such as shelters and veterinary clinics. She has two dogs, Daphne and Azula, a cat, Ellie, and five chickens. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cross-stitching, and playing piano.

Lindsay Nakonechny - PhD Student

Lindsay is a doctoral student in Animal Science from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She received her Bachelor in Animal Health with a major in Companion Animals from the University of Alberta. Lindsay also completed a Master of Science in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from the University of Guelph, where her major project focused on the perceptions of horse welfare issues by industry participants in Canada. Following her studies, Lindsay served as an Animal Welfare Advisor at the Edmonton Humane Society while instructing an online equine behaviour course through the University of Guelph. Lindsay also worked as a Coordinator for Equestrian Canada, developing the Equine Animal Care Assessment Program. Lindsay returned to academia to study companion animal welfare in human-animal interactions. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, golf, running, and spending time with her horse, Herbie, and her dog, Finn! Lindsay hopes to use a “one welfare” lens to develop research that informs impactful and positive changes for both companion animals and their guardians.

Rituparna Sonowal - PhD Student

Rituparna is a Ph.D. student in the Animal and Food Science Department. Before arriving at Texas Tech University, she completed an integrated bachelor-master degree in India, where she worked with free-ranging dogs for three years. In addition, she worked as a project assistant in India to gain more experience in different cognitive-related experiments on dogs. The motivation and love for understanding dog behavioral research established higher goals for her to continue in the Animal Behavior and Welfare field and better understand the aspects necessary for animal welfare via research. Besides this, she loves spending time with dogs as well as loving and caring for them. In her free time, she likes to draw, paint, sing, and dance. 

Grace Payne - Non-Thesis Masters Student

Grace is a non-thesis master’s student in the Animal and Food Science Department. She is also an Animal Behavior Consultant working in the new Texas Tech Animal Behavior Clinic that provides affordable training and behavior advice to the Lubbock community, while also working at Wagbnb. Before furthering her education, she graduated from Texas Tech University with her bachelor’s of science in animal science with a focus in companion animals. During her time as an undergraduate student, she played for the Texas Tech Women’s Club Soccer Team and assisted in research pertaining to puppy play behavior. She wishes in the future to open her own doggy daycare and boarding facility while promoting the importance of human-animal interactions and safety. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her three dogs, Max, Huck, and Finn, along with spending time with her friends and family!

Undergraduate Students

Emma Harvey - Honors Student

Emma Harvey is a senior at Texas Tech University working toward an Animal Science degree with concentrations in Pre-Veterinary and Companion Animal Science. She was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, but has lived and worked with animals all around the world. Currently, she works as a Domestic Animal Anatomy Learning Assistant at Texas Tech and helps to foster an improved collaborative learning experience for students in the class. She is also an officer of Pets Are Worth Saving, an organization which emphasizes learning about the animal care industry and supporting the community. Emma is passionate about research and problem-solving, and has applied to vet school this cycle.

 

Rhea Jacob - Honors student

Rhea Jacob is a Junior Animal Science Major from Houston, Texas. She is apart of the USDA REEU Nutrition BEST Program. She plans to attend veterinary school and achieve her dream of becoming a small animal veterinarian. Rhea is passionate about creating a welcoming environment in clinical and shelter settings and wants to help create a fear-free environment for all pets. She is eager to learn more and educate others about the importance of mindful interactions between companion animals and humans.

Viera Pulver - Honors Student

Viera is a sophomore Animal Science major from New Jersey with Pre-Veterinary & Companion Animal Science concentrations. She has minors in both Russian and French languages and is a member of the Texas Tech University Honors College. Viera is the President of the Tech Russian and Slavic Association, works at her hometown veterinary office as a Veterinary Assistant, and has volunteered at local dairy farms in upstate New York. She plans on applying to Veterinary School after graduation. Viera is also very enthusiastic about studying new languages, traveling, working with companion and farm animals, and her Pre-Vet courses.

Lauren Ray - Undergraduate Student

Lauren is a senior at Texas Tech University working towards a degree of Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary and Companion Animal Science. Originally from city of Las Vegas, Nevada, she has always been drawn to the bond between humans and their pets. As a member of the TTU Pre-Vet Society, she thrives on collaboration and community, connecting with like-minded peers who share a passion for veterinary medicine. Currently, she works as a laboratory technician and as a veterinary technician at Live Oak Animal Hospital. Lauren also loves to contribute to research projects, always driven by curiosity, and plans to apply to veterinary school after graduation. Her dog, Almond, was rescued from the Lubbock Animal Shelter and is her biggest supporter through her educational career. 

 

 

Lab Alumni

Emma Pasiuk - PhD Student

Emma completed her Ph.D. in Animal Science with a focus on equine-assisted services. She completed her Bachelor's degree in psychology at a small state college in northern Minnesota in 2017 and continued on to attain a master's degree in counseling psychology in 2020 at the University of Saint Thomas, MN. Her professional goals include contributing to the research in the field of mental health interventions that incorporate equines as well as opening her own counseling practice that supports a variety of clients by incorporating horses into therapeutic sessions. Her hobbies include hiking, painting, and caring for her two cats, Louie and Juniper.

Emily Webberson - MS Student

Emily was a master's student in Animal Science from Richmond, Virginia. She received her bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience at the University of Mary Washington. For the last two years she has studied the abuse-related behavioral effects of abused drugs including inhalant chemicals on rodents at Virginia Commonwealth University. She wishes to pursue a PhD in Animal Behavior after gaining her Master’s. For her master's she explored a novel method for improving student veteran and shelter dog well-being. Emily hopes to make an impact in the way that animals are cared for and handled in a variety of settings. In her free time, she enjoys playing board games, making DIY crafts, and reading. 

Abbey Bing - Undergraduate Honors student

Abbey is a junior Animal Science major from Katy, Texas and is also a student in the Honors College. She is dedicated to her studies and plans to attend medical school in the future. Abbey is passionate about furthering the well-being of animals in all settings - whether it be in a clinic, a shelter, or a home - and hopes to bring about positive change in the veterinary community. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports, being active, and enjoying the outdoors.

Amber Carroll - undergraduate honors student

Amber graduated with Companion Animal Science major with a minor in biology as well as a student in the Honors College. She is from Leander, Texas, where she spent several years working for a nonprofit organization as an assistant service dog trainer and a summer camp instructor. She is currently working as a private dog trainer in Lubbock and is completing her MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh. In her free time, Amber enjoys researching her family history, drawing, painting, and doing agility classes with her dog, Molly. 

Hannah Porter - undergraduate student

She graduated with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Chemistry at Texas Tech University. In addition to working in the Human-Animal Interaction Lab, Hannah also enjoyed being involved in Texas Tech's Pre-Vet Society. She hopes to attend the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in the future and become a large animal veterinarian in Texas. Hannah is eager to continue helping and learning more about the research on improving human interactions with companion animals.