Seana Dowling-Guyer
Biography
Seana is the Associate Director of the Collaborative for Shelter Dogs and teaches in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP). She is interested in the intersection of animal behavior and people’s perceptions of that behavior, particularly how our attitudes and knowledge of animal behavior impact animal welfare and behavior. Seana’s research examines how to improve the welfare of dogs in shelters and support dogs and other companion animals in the home and community. She also investigates trends in animal sheltering. Seana’s interest in people’s perceptions of animal behavior has recently expanded her research to the area of human dimensions of wildlife.
Part of the Center for Animals and Public Policy, Seana teaches Research Methods, Exploring Human Dimensions of Animal Behavior, and Applied Animal Behavior in the M.S. in Animals and Public Policy program. She also oversees student research related to dogs and animal behavior.
Prior to joining Cummings School, Seana served as the Executive Director for the Collaborative for Shelter Dogs when it was a program of the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Previously, Seana worked for 14 years at hi-tech market research firm IDC where she designed, managed, and analyzed data from surveys around the world. Seana holds an MS in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a B.A. in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross.