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معرفی
Becca Franks is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at New York University (NYU), specializing in animal behavior, aquatic welfare, and the intersection of environmental and animal protection. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and a B.A. in Anthropology from NYU. Her research addresses how animals are affected by the Anthropocene and how behavioral studies can provide solutions to environmental challenges. She has co-edited a special issue on animal behavior and welfare in Frontiers in Veterinary Science and serves as an Associate Editor for Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Franks' work spans topics like fish welfare, aquaculture ethics, and human-animal relationships, with a focus on quantitative methods and policy advocacy.
Her educational background includes advanced studies in psychology and anthropology, blending empirical and theoretical approaches to environmental issues. Key research areas include animal welfare in aquaculture, cognitive enrichment for captive species, and the ethical implications of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. Franks has been recognized with the Killam Research Prize during her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia.
Franks' publications emphasize the urgency of rethinking human-animal interactions in agriculture and conservation. She advocates for policies like the U.S. OCTOPUS Act to protect wild species and critiques offshore aquaculture expansion. Her work on zebrafish cognition highlights their capacity for social learning and recognition of human handlers, challenging assumptions about fish intelligence. She also explores motivational factors influencing animal well-being across lifespans and species.
Scientific awards include the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship and Killam Research Prize, underscoring her contributions to animal welfare science. Her teaching focuses on quantitative methods and animal behavior in environmental contexts. Though no advising relationships are explicitly listed, her research collaborations likely involve graduate students in environmental studies and biology.
