PARIS, France — Presenting research at an international conference isn’t typical for undergraduates, but three Washington State University students recently had that opportunity after completing a research project that lasted three semesters.
Photo courtesy Taya Fogle.
This summer, Lindsay Demitor, Chloe Fischer, and Taya Fogle attended the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conference in Paris, France, as members of the Human Animal Interaction Lab run by Patricia Pendry, a professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development (HD).
The timing was especially opportune as Pendry was elected an ISAZ fellow and honored for her research achievements and contributions to the discipline at the conference.
Meanwhile, the students presented a research poster based on video-recorded interactions between WSU students and therapy dogs. The interactions were coded to capture the students’ behavior with the dogs and later linked to changes in the stress hormone cortisol. The trio presented findings that showed a strong relationship between the quality and quantity of petting and reduced test anxiety in students.
“We had to watch the videos very closely to not miss anything the participants did when interacting, or not, with the dogs,” said Fogle, a senior psychology major with an HD minor. “I thought it was interesting watching how varied each person was. Some would touch the dog the entire time and some didn’t touch the dog at all.”
The coding gradually led to more responsibility in the lab for the students.
“When I first started, I told my friends I watch videos and tap a keyboard,” said Demitor, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in HD. “But as time went on, I was able to do some data analysis and present the findings, putting the data into words. It felt like the work paid off nicely.”
Pendry helped the students submit a poster proposal for the Paris conference and personally paid for their hotel during the event.
“Given their long-term commitment to the project, I wanted to reward them for their hard work and provide them with the opportunity to see firsthand how science is shared and translated to a broad audience,” Pendry said.
That experience may come in handy in the future.
“I knew I wanted to get research experience for later in my career,” said Fischer, an HD and psychology double major who plans to graduate in May 2027. “I think we all felt a sense of ownership when presenting, especially while talking to the people who stopped by our poster.”
The three students joined Pendry’s lab by emailing about help-wanted notices on a WSU student website. All said they were drawn to her program because of their love of animals.
“When I started coding for Dr. Pendry, I was separated from my cat,” said Demitor, who is from Walla Walla, Washington. “By the end of my time working in the lab, I was living in an apartment with my cat and felt so much better. I could pet him and he’d make me feel better, so I could relate to the research we were doing.”
Each student expressed an interest in attending graduate school after earning their bachelor’s degrees, though not necessarily in research.
Photo courtesy Taya Fogle.
“I have always wanted to be a therapist,” said Fogle, a Colville, Washington native. “I really wanted to try research and am so grateful for this opportunity. It’s really cool to see the work evolve over time, but it also solidified my desire to be a therapist. I’m very grateful for that.”
None of the students anticipated an opportunity like Paris, however.
“I didn’t think something like this was possible when I started at WSU,” Fogle said. “Paris was beautiful and an amazing experience, but my favorite part of the trip was presenting at the conference. We spent so long working on this, and seeing people interested in learning about our research was validating.”
She’s not alone in that observation.
“I’m really proud of our work,” said Fischer, a Yakima, Washington native. “We made real contributions to this study and furthered research in the field. Having people ask us questions about the study and getting feedback was surprisingly fun. Working in Dr. Pendry’s lab is definitely a highlight of my WSU experience.”
Pendry also found the experience extremely rewarding.
“I am so proud of the way they presented the findings, answered difficult questions, and conducted themselves,” she said. “We also had a lot of fun exploring Paris — the metro, French food, and flea markets, in particular.”
Such experiences are a valuable part of the learning process.
“Opportunities like this demonstrate the power of learning through discovery,” said Raj Khosla, Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “Lindsay, Chloe, and Taya took their research from the laboratory to an international stage, gaining confidence and experience that will stay with them throughout their careers. I am proud of their accomplishments and grateful to Dr. Pendry for creating such a meaningful opportunity for our students.”