Tiffani Howell

I am a PhD student in the Anthrozoology Research Group, within the Animal Welfare Science Centre, studying social cognition in dogs. I have a BA in French (with minors in Political Science and International Studies) from North Carolina State University in the US, and a MA in International Studies from Newcastle University, England. After finishing my Master's, I moved home to the US where I worked for several years at NCSU and then Duke University, helping international students and visiting international researchers obtain the correct visa to study or work in the US. I loved the work, but my true passion has always been animals. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to move to Melbourne, and knowing that my particular skill set -- US visa categories -- would not translate directly into similar work in Australia, I decided it would be a good time to start the PhD I had always intended to pursue. Luckily I met Dr Pauleen Bennett at Monash University, who gave me a chance even though I had a very different background from what I wanted to study.

I am currently researching the age at which particular social cognitive skills develop in the domestic dog, permitting them to effectively communicate with humans.

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