Research Forum 2025 Agenda

As an Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Weiss has worked with species as varied as lions, orangutans, elephants and Komodo dragons, as well dogs, cats and horses. 

A nationally recognized scientist, Dr. Weiss has published extensively on topics related to applied animal behavior and human-animal interactions. She served as the ASPCA's VP. of Research & Development, overseeing groundbreaking research related to the animal sheltering field and developing assessment tools for shelter animals. Before that she created training programs to improve husbandry and decrease stress for zoo animals.

More recently Dr. Weiss led ASPCA's Equine Welfare efforts, with a focus on increasing the rehoming of horses, the development of effective safety net programming and effective law enforcement response to cruelty and neglect.

After sunsetting her successful career at the ASPCA, she is focusing on a few select projects where her knowledge, skills and talent can make a significant impact for animals.

In all of her work two central questions have driven her approach - Why? And - How do you know? These questions guide a consistent creative and scientific approach to the work of improving welfare.

Dr. Hayley Hadden, DVM, serves as Medical Director at Gigi’s, a dog shelter in Columbus, Ohio. She was co‑author of a pioneering 2025 study in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health, demonstrating that delaying puppy intake at rural shelters significantly reduces parvovirus outbreaks. A graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Hadden combines clinical leadership with evidence‑based shelter medicine innovation.

Dr. Graham is an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, where she also completed her PhD in Epidemiology and Companion Animal Behavior. Dr. Graham’s research interests include applied animal welfare and behavior, focusing on the behavioral development of kittens and the human-feline bond. Using a One Welfare framework, her research merges quantitative and qualitative methods, incorporating the perspectives of kitten caretakers to improve animal welfare and adoption outcomes.

Dr. Sara L. Bennett DVM, MS, DACVB, received her DVM degree in 2006 from Purdue University and later completed a residency in animal behavior with a focus on shelter medicine, obtained a master of science degree, and became certified as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2012. She spent time in specialty private practice and held a position as co-instructor for the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Shelter Medicine Program, focusing on Shelter Animal Behavior and Welfare, for 8 years. She is currently a clinical assistant professor of clinical sciences in the behavior department at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. Dr. Bennett particularly enjoys addressing problem behaviors in sheltered and rescued animals through clinical practice and research, thereby helping to protect animal welfare, making the sheltering experience less stressful, strengthening the human-animal bond, and increasing the likelihood that pets’ new homes become their forever homes.

Dr. Carrero earned her DVM degree in 2025 from NC State University. During veterinary school, she spent a summer conducting research with Dr. Sara Bennett, where she discovered a deep passion for using simple behavior modification techniques to help animals feel safer and more comfortable in both shelter and clinical environments. Her work resulted in the publication of her first paper, which she was honored to present at the 2024 Veterinary Behaviorist Symposium. Today, Dr. Carrero brings that same dedication and compassion to her role as a small animal veterinarian in Roanoke, Virginia, where she strives to make every patient’s visit a positive experience.

Dr. Jacobson received her veterinary degree in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1986 and subsequently completed a residency in small animal internal medicine, a PhD on the pathophysiology of virulent canine babesiosis and the University of Florida Online Certificate in Shelter Medicine. She is currently Director, Science and Advancement, at Toronto Humane Society. Professional interests include infectious diseases, animal hoarding and accessible veterinary care.

Victoria L. LaPoe, PhD., is an award-winning journalist and scholar whose research focuses on media sourcing, digital media, and public relations. She joined the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 2025. Prior to this role, she was a full professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where she taught courses in both news and strategic communication (2017-2025), chaired the school’s contest committee, and served as Director of Studies in Journalism for the Honors Tutorial College (2020–2024).

Earlier in her academic career, Dr. LaPoe taught broadcasting at Western Kentucky University, where she served as overall coordinator for the broadcasting and film sequence (2014–2017).

She is a lifetime member of the Indigenous Journalists Association (formerly NAJA), where she was Vice President from 2017 to 2019 and has been a member of the organization’s education committee since 2015.

Ben received an M.S. in journalism from WVU in 2008 and a Ph.D. in media and public affairs from LSU in 2013. LaPoe's work focuses on the intersections of journalism, media, and politics. Ben has taught media writing, interactive storytelling, multimedia journalism, ethical community coverage in journalism, media advocacy, social media, intercultural communication, strategic political communications, quantitative research methods, civil rights tour, media law, and media history courses. A significant component of LaPoe's teaching philosophy is founded on helping students be adaptive, inquisitive individuals prepared to research and apply informed solutions in a constantly changing communications environment. 

Taylor Orcutt is a journalism and political science student at Ohio University. A lifetime resident of Athens, Ohio, she has experience reporting on local, government, and law enforcement news for the Athens Messenger. Her scholarly interests include media and communications law, Indigenous media, and the intersections of both. She is a non-Indigenous Associate Member of the Indigenous Journalists Association, student member of the The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA), and member of the Society of Professional Journalists.