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| * Center for Human-Animal Bond |
| * School of Veterinary Medicine |
January 17, 2008
Center for Human-Animal Bond presents 2008 Lilly lecture series
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 2008 Lilly Lectureship Series, presented by Purdue University's Center for the Human-Animal Bond, will feature a keynote address by psychiatrist Aaron H. Katcher next week at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Fla.Alan Beck, professor and director for the Center for the Human-Animal Bond in Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine, will make opening remarks. Katcher, who is professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, will speak about the bond between people and pets and the research behind it. He also will speak at Purdue in September at the School of Veterinary Medicine's annual Fall Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians in West Lafayette.
"Dr. Katcher has researched the complex relationship between people and pets from a human health perspective and recognizes the emotional and physical benefits of owning a pet,�? Beck said. "The Center for the Human-Animal Bond and Lilly are proud to be able to bring his expertise to veterinarians, providing them with further support and insights into the physiological, psychological and sociological importance of the human-pet bond."
This will be the second year of the lectureship series, which is endowed through a Lilly gift to the Center for the Human-Animal Bond. It features world-renowned speakers who broaden the veterinary profession’s understanding of the human-pet bond through presentations at the center and at leading national veterinary conferences. Last year’s speaker was anthropologist and author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, who addressed the reasons for human-pet relationships.
Katcher published a landmark study demonstrating that the social support of companion animals could increase the survival rate of patients during the first year after a myocardial infarction. Katcher also is the recipient of the country’s first National Institutes of Mental Health training grant to educate veterinary and human health professionals about the health value of contact with companion animals.
He is the author of several books, including "New Perspectives on Our Lives with Companion Animals" (with Alan Beck) and "Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship" (also with Beck). Katcher also is a board member of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond and vice president of the Animal Therapy Association. He received his undergraduate degree from Williams College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1982, the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine explores the dynamic relationships between people, animals and their environment. The center's major objective of the center is to foster interdisciplinary activities and serve as a focal point for the exchange of ideas and development of new information related to animal-human interactions and animal welfare.Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu
Source: Alan Beck, (765) 494-0854, abeck@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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