About
Dr. Joshua Plotnik is an Associate Professor and Director of the Animal Behavior and Conservation MA Program at Hunter College, CUNY. He leads the Comparative Cognition for Conservation (CCC) Lab within the Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the evolution of cognition in animals, particularly Asian elephants, and applying this knowledge to conservation efforts. Dr. Plotnik earned his PhD from Emory University and has conducted extensive fieldwork in Thailand since 2006.
Research Interests:
- Comparative cognition across species
- Animal sensory perception and decision-making
- Applications of behavioral research to mitigate human-elephant conflict
- Evolution of social and physical intelligence
Lab Members work with diverse species including Asian elephants, pangolins, and domestic animals. Current research emphasizes conservation applications through understanding animal behavior and cognition. The lab accepts students via Hunter's Animal Behavior & Conservation MA and CUNY's Cognitive & Comparative Psychology PhD programs.
Recent work highlights elephants' problem-solving abilities, cooperative behavior, and recognition of human visual attention. His team also investigates sensory modalities' role in decision-making and self-domestication theories in elephants.
Grants and Collaborations:
- Wildlife conservation projects in Thailand
- Collaborations with zoological institutions and conservation NGOs
Labs/Tech: Comparative Cognition for Conservation Lab at Hunter College. Equipment includes camera traps and behavioral observation tools.
