Rachel Morrison

Rachel Morrison serves as Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), where she has taught since Fall 2014. Her academic home is the Department of Psychology within the university's structure, instructing core courses including Introductory Psychology, Research Methodology, Animal Cognition and Behavior, and Biopsychology.

Her educational foundation includes:

• BS in Biology (animal biology concentration) and Psychology minor from Grand Valley State University
• MA in Psychology with Animal Behavior and Conservation certification from Hunter College, CUNY
• PhD in Psychology (Biopsychology concentration) from The Graduate Center, CUNY

Dr. Morrison's research program centers on animal cognition, welfare science, and human-animal bonds, employing methodologies from field ethology to experimental psychology. Current projects analyze Facebook adoption campaigns by animal shelters and measure mood impacts of animal interactions on college students, while future work targets evidence-based enrichment for shelter canines and felines. Her 2021 Anthrozoös publication revealed critical links between student demographics, animal thinking perceptions, and welfare attitudes.

She maintains an active undergraduate research pipeline, supervising student assistants in all projects. Though specific grants aren't detailed in available materials, her continuous publication record and multi-year projects indicate sustained research funding. Her work bridges theoretical biopsychology with tangible applications in conservation, shelter management, and mental health interventions.