Berea College, Transylvania University Expand Collaborative Animal Research with New Center

BEREA, Ky.– A growing research partnership between Berea College and Transylvania University is entering a new chapter with the establishment of Transylvania’s Center for Animal Behavior, Cognition & Well-Being. 

Co-founded by Berea College professor Rebecca Singer and Transylvania professor Ellen Furlong, the center builds on a collaborative research program that has engaged dozens of undergraduate students, advanced scientific understanding of animal behavior and welfare, and connected researchers and community partners across Central Kentucky. 

Since 2024, the program has involved 52 undergraduate researchers, contributed to 21 national and international research presentations and produced two peer-reviewed publications. The Dog Lab's research database includes more than 800 dogs, and research collaborations extend across six institutions. Students have played an important role in that growth, helping conduct studies, develop projects and share findings with the scientific community.

"In many ways, we've already been doing the work of a research center, just without the infrastructure to support it," Furlong said. "Our research has grown across institutions, disciplines and even species, and we've developed an extraordinary community of students, researchers and animal welfare professionals who make this work possible. Establishing the center gives all of that work a home and creates opportunities for us to continue building on what we've accomplished together."

The Dog Behavior & Cognition Lab will remain a flagship laboratory of the new center, which provides a structure for continued research, educational programs and community partnerships.

Big research at small schools

A central part of the center's work is an educational approach called Big Research at Small Schools, which combines the close faculty mentorship of smaller universities with the research opportunities and scholarly connections typically found at larger institutions.

Students work alongside experienced scientists, conduct studies, present findings at academic conferences and contribute to published research. They also help shape the research itself, contributing ideas, solving problems and taking on responsibilities that have helped the program grow.

"From the beginning, Ellen and I wanted to create a supportive environment where students could take on meaningful research and grow as scholars," Singer said. "We've watched them become capable researchers, accomplished presenters and people who ask thoughtful questions about the work they're doing. What we've been able to accomplish together shows that students at smaller institutions can participate in ambitious research while benefiting from the close mentorship those schools provide."

The center builds on the strength of Transylvania's psychology program and its faculty's commitment to teaching, mentorship and research.

"This is a particularly good example of what undergraduate research can look like at a small university," said Andrew McMichael, executive vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university. "Our students work closely with faculty while also participating in research with scholars from other institutions. Those broader collaborations create opportunities that would be difficult for a single institution to provide on its own."

Research built on collaboration

Through the Comparative Cognition Collaborative, researchers, students and animal welfare professionals from across Central Kentucky meet regularly to exchange ideas, share expertise and develop research projects.

The network brings together scholars from psychology, biology, neuroscience and other disciplines. These relationships allow researchers to share knowledge, challenge assumptions and pursue questions that would be difficult for individual laboratories to address independently. Students are part of that broader scholarly community, working alongside faculty and researchers from other institutions.

That collaboration extends beyond academic institutions.

At Lexington Humane Society, students and faculty work alongside animal welfare professionals to study animal behavior, training and well-being. Their work has included more than 300 hours of research investigating cat behavior and welfare, including how shelter environments and training may affect animals' experiences and adoption outcomes.

Students also participate in community outreach, from educational programs with Girl Scouts to public events where community members can learn about the research. Hundreds of dogs and their owners have contributed to studies examining canine learning and behavior, giving students opportunities to develop research skills while working directly with animals and their owners.

Building on an established program

The Center for Animal Behavior, Cognition & Well-Being brings together four areas of work: research on animal behavior, cognition and well-being; the Comparative Cognition Collaborative; the Big Research at Small Schools educational model; and community engagement and public service.

Much of the existing research and educational work will continue, with the center providing a structure for developing additional projects and partnerships. It will initially operate using the Dog Lab's existing space and resources while pursuing partnerships, grants, donations and other funding opportunities to support future growth.

For Furlong, the center's establishment is as much about the people who have helped build the program as it is about the research itself.

"None of this would be possible without our students, collaborators and community partners," Furlong said. "They've helped us build something much larger than we imagined when we started the Dog Lab. We have a lot ahead of us, but we've already seen what we can accomplish together. I can't wait to see what's next."

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