The Human-Animal Interaction: A Celebration of Dr. Leo K. Bustad's Legacy
October 18-20, 2013
The College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Education at Washington State University have joined to organize a symposium to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Leo K. Bustad to the field of human-animal interaction and commemorate the 15th anniversary of his death (September 19, 1998). Dr. Bustad, Dean of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine for a decade, was an outstanding educator, scientist and humanitarian, who is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the field of human-animal interactions. Among other things he founded the People-Pet Partnership, the first university-based community service program on the human-animal bond and was also co-founder and first Chair of the Delta Society (now Pet Partners).
Through Dr. Bustad's guidance and vision, the society funded the first credible research on animals' importance to the general public's health and well-being. He devoted many years of his life contributing to the well-being of people, animals and the environment, the essence of human-animal interactions. To celebrate the life of this visionary man and show how his ideas have contributed to a vast array of influential changes throughout the veterinary, educational and helping professions, a symposium will be held in Pullman on October 18-20, 2013.
The meeting will feature seminar presentations by experts in the field of human-animal interaction, as well as workshops. The seminars will provide research-based evidence and applications, and will focus on applied aspects that emerge from research on human-animal interaction. Students will have the opportunity to display their work at a poster session. The meeting will be an opportunity to bridge the gap between professionals, researchers and students working in the various fields involved in human-animal interaction activities.
We hope that by learning about the past and present of human-animal interaction, participants will take the next step in moving research and applications of human-animal interaction "Onward and Upward" (a favorite saying of Dr. Bustad).
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Please visit the Program page for the symposium agenda.
Date: October 18-20, 2013
Place: Washington State University, Pullman Campus
