Who are We? The PodCrew
Michelle Szydlowski
Michelle earned her PhD in anthrozoology with research focused on captive elephants in the Sauraha area of Nepal. This work examined the health and welfare of these endangered individuals and the members of marginalized communities that care for them. In addition, Michelle focused on governmental, NGO and INGO programs which attempt to help captive elephants, and how their interactions impacted population-level health and individual elephant lives.
Michelle spent decades teaching in public schools, zoos and museums. She changed careers mid-life to focus on companion animal and wildlife health, later teaching future veterinary technicians how to care for avian and reptile patients. Her MA in Anthrozoology, completed via Exeter in 2017, focused on how novel practices in ecotourism impact community-based conservation efforts for rhino and elephant in Nepal. Michelle is active with endangered species conservation projects around Bardia and Chitwan National Parks.
Currently, Michelle teaches anthrozoology, biology and ecology courses at Beacon College in Florida. One of the few undergraduate programs for anthrozoology in the US, this college specializes in students with learning differences or autism spectrum disorder. Her passion is teaching the cross-cultural aspects of anthrozoology, and demonstrating how an anthrozoological focus can benefit conservation. She continues to research in Nepal and will spend several months of 2021-2022 in the field, continuing her work with community-based conservation efforts focused on endangered species preservation, elephant welfare, rhinoceros-human relations, wildlife health and sustainable development.
Michelle serves as the board chair of a non-profit conservation fund focused on supporting community-based initiatives globally. In addition, she recently joined the advisory board of an elephant rescue non-profit. She is active in local environmental education projects, humane education initiatives, one world/one health programs, and biodiversity preservation initiatives. When not teaching, she can often be found speaking at conferences or to community groups about her work in Nepal, conservation, and other topics in anthrozoology. Upcoming projects include a large human-elephant mitigation program with co-researchers from Nepal and the launch of elephant research and information website. You can find her site at internationalelephants.org or follow her @michszyd on Twitter.
Kris Hill
I am working on my PhD in anthrozoology (my project is focused on free-roaming cats), while building the foundations of a new career – either as an academic, educator or within a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of animals, including humans. I enjoy academic writing but recognise that it is a meaningless, self-indulgent exercise if not accessible beyond academia. I got involved with The Anthrozoology Podcast because it provides a platform to talk about subjects that I am passionate about, and endeavours to engage others in continued discussion. You can read more about my research and convoluted career here:
Sarah Oxley Heaney
I am an activist-researcher. My anthrozoology masters’ dissertation focused upon reasons given for, and factors affecting, abandoned cats in Saudi Arabia reflecting my work as the founder of a volunteer animal rescue group in Saudi Arabia - our work can be found on social media with @tabukpaws.
My Anthrozoological PhD research project is designed to combine my passions. These include a belief that more-than-human animals have intrinsic value and do not exist solely for our use; scuba diving with sharks, which is a passion I was fortunate enough to begin over 20 years ago.
My decision to become involved in the Anthrozoology podcast is to try to make academic literature concerning more-than-human animal biographies and their lived experiences more accessible to non-academics. Additionally, I am passionate about contributing my voice to those who fight for all animals including sharks and their aquatic environments.
I have a varied background, including military service, boring office work and a short but exciting adventure running a sail and dive business in Myanmar. Before moving to Portugal I spent 17 years in Saudi Arabia, I was awarded an MA in Anthrozoology from Exeter University in 2019 and began my PhD in 2020. My research can be followed at www.kissingsharks.com and I can be contacted at sh750@exeter.ac.uk