Current Lab Members

Rose Irwin  

Lab Manager

Rose Irwin was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is currently double majoring in Animal Studies and Psychology. Her love for animals began as a child during frequent visits to zoos across the United States, where she developed a particular fascination with big cats. Throughout her life, Rose has cared for a wide variety of animals, including ducks, lizards, a hedgehog, and more. This experience sparked a passion for understanding both animal cognition and the health dynamics between animals and humans. In 2025, she interned at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, working exclusively with 40+ carnivores. She has expanded her experience since interning at Zoo Tampa as a Behavioral Researcher. Since attending Eckerd, Rose has continued to pursue her passion for animals and hopes to further develop her skills to work with carnivores.

Mia Slocum   

Lead Researcher

Hi! My name is Mia Slocum. I am a double major in Animal Studies and Psychology, with a minor in Spanish. I grew up in Central Florida, always visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and I've always known I wanted to pursue a career that involved animals. I used to work at an animal hospital and in the summer of 2025, I completed an animal care internship with ZooTampa’s Africa department. In the future, I would love to work in animal behavior and training!

Kenzie Walker   

Lead Researcher

Hello! My name is Kenzie Walker and I'm so excited to be joining the Comparative Psych lab. I'm currently a junior double-majoring in Animal Studies and Psychology. I'm a Florida local and have grown up surrounded by nature, animals, and a love for learning. I have always wanted to work with animals and learn more about their cognitive functions, so I'm excited to become a project assistant and join the CEVE research project. I'm hoping to become an Animal-Assisted Occupational Therapist and am excited to one day bring my research experience into the professional field. 

Cam Nickerson

Lead Researcher

Hello! My name is Cam Nickerson. I am a double major in Animal Studies and Psychology. I grew up in Northern Indiana, and over the years my family has had just about every pet you could think of. As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to work with animals. Ever since my family got a pet cockatiel, I have had a special interest in birds. Through my time here at Eckerd, I grew interested in animal cognition and behavior, which led me to become the student lead for the Parrot Cognition Project. I am excited to use what I learn from studying and training Apollo for a future in animal cognition.

Sydney Hoar

Lead Researcher

Hi! My name is Sydney Hoar. I'm originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I am currently double-majoring in Animal Studies and Human Development, with a minor in Entrepreneurship. My passion for animals has played a significant part in my life. I have gained experience working with animals through rescuing, fostering, training, and caring for my own pets. I currently have three dogs and three cats living with me in Florida, and I regularly foster dogs for a local nonprofit while they await their forever homes. After college, I hope to establish my own nonprofit organization that promotes animal welfare while providing animal-assisted programs for children with cognitive and physical disabilities. I am particularly interested in understanding how animal behavior can help foster safe, ethical, and mutually beneficial relationships between animals and the people they interact with. I'm excited to continue working as Lead Researcher for the Dog Memory Project with ECCPL.

Talon Steiner

Lead Researcher

Hi! My name is Talon Steiner, and I am a double major in Animal Studies and Environmental Studies with a minor in Communication. I grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and was always visiting local zoos like the Philadelphia Zoo and Elmwood Park Zoo! I have always wanted to work with animals since I was young! I currently work as a volunteer at Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary, working with avians, carnivores, and more. I am also a force-free dog trainer! In the future, I would love to be a carnivore caretaker or trainer!

Brooke Hymiller    

Research Assistant & Social Media Manager 

Brooke grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where her love for the ocean and animals was nurtured from an early age. She is currently pursuing a double major in Biology and Animal Studies at Eckerd College with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. She is currently working as a Wildlife Care Attendant at SPCA Tampa Bay, where she cares for and rehabilitates Florida wildlife. At Eckerd, she continues to build on her passion for animal care and is excited to deepen her knowledge and clinical skills throughout her academic journey. 

Camille Hairston    

Research Assistant  

Hi! My name is Camille Hairston, and I am from Sandy Spring, Maryland. Here at Eckerd, I am an Animal Studies major with a minor in Marine Science. I've been passionate about animals for as long as I can remember, and have always known I wanted a career that lets me work closely with them and help people understand the deep connections we share. Over the summer, I worked with a non-profit organization and the Maryland SPCA, where I gained experience caring for animals and learning about community outreach. I am so excited to be a research assistant on the dog symbolism project!

Grace Nowak   

Research Assistant  

Hi! My name is Grace Nowak, and I'm a double major in Animal Studies and Biology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I grew up in Maryland and have always loved caring for animals, from my dog Phineas to the horses and dogs I’ve worked with. Last year, my interest in animals brought me to Eckerd, where I plan to learn more about animals and their behavior. I'm excited to focus on learning about cognition, conservation, and behavior modification during my time at Eckerd and through the ECCPL, where I will be working on the Dog Memory Study. After Eckerd, I hope to continue working in animal-related research and pursue graduate school, work in wildlife conservation, or become a dog trainer.  

Samantha Phillips

Research Assistant  

Hi! My name is Samantha Phillips, I’m a freshman interested in both Animal Studies and Psychology. I am from Carmel, IN where my passion for animals started. I grew up loving zoos and aquariums, which has inspired me to pursue my goals of one day working at one! Prior to coming to Eckerd College I volunteered at the Indianapolis Zoo where I was able to learn a lot about marine mammal training. I am currently volunteering at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, in the aquatic biology department. This summer, I am looking forward to gaining more experience as an intern in their marine mammal department. Shout out to my two dogs Carlos and Poppy who have and continue to inspire me so much.  

Catherine Zulueta

Project Assistant

Hello, my name is Catherine Zulueta and I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Animal Studies and Behavioral Neuroscience. I am from Raleigh, North Carolina, and enjoy learning about cognition, behavior, developmental biology, and animals! I am puppy raising a service dog in training for DogsINC, an organization that provides guide and service dogs at no cost. I am excited to apply my knowledge and experiences as a future occupational therapist and continue helping my community through DogsINC!

Casey Mcgarrey

Project Assistant

Hi! My name is Casey McGarrey, and I’m a senior majoring in Animal Studies with a minor in Biology. I was born and raised in New Jersey, where I frequently visited zoos and aquariums as a child. Those experiences sparked my fascination with marine animals and their behavior, inspiring me to pursue my education at Eckerd College. Since then, I have become involved with the ECWR, working alongside wildlife rehabilitators at Birds in Helping Hands. As a member of the Apollo Training Team, I work directly with Apollo to collect data on parrot cognition and communication. Through these experiences, I have developed a strong interest in animal cognition and positive reinforcement training techniques. My goal is to apply this knowledge in a career as a marine mammal trainer and caretaker.

Kelsey Roque

Project Assistant

Hi! My name is Kelsey Roque. I am from New York, and I’m majoring in Animal Studies with possible minors in Mathematics and Psychology. I have always had a large passion for working with animals! I have a lot of experience in taking care of animals, as growing up I have always had many pets. Before coming to Eckerd, I had an internship at the Norwalk Aquarium that taught me a lot about animal husbandry and care. I have also volunteered at an animal shelter where I assisted in caring for the cats there. I am very excited to learn more about animal cognition and apply that knowledge to future career opportunities working hands-on with animals!

Allegra Rogers

Project Assistant

Madi Strazzullo

Research Assistant  

Kami Gummeson

Project Assistant

Emilie Viola

Project Assistant