Animal Studies at MSU is an umbrella program focused on the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and other animals. The program includes a doctoral and master's graduate specialization, cutting-edge research, a monthly seminar series on the MSU campus, and a registered student organization that connects academic initiatives with the local community. For questions, contact Dr. Linda Kalof, Director, Animal Studies at MSU (LKalof@msu.edu), or Seven Bryant, President, Graduate Students for Animals.

News: Linda Kalof has proposed a symposium for AAAS 2014 on "Co-existing with Carnivores," featuring Marc Bekoff, Stanley Gehrt and Caroline Fraser.

News: Congratulations to Cadi Fung (Animals Studies and Geography) for winning the Animal Geography Specialty Group graduate paper competition at AAG for her paper "Buddhist Attitudes Toward Animals: A Case Study of Metta Forest Buddhist Monastery."

News: Congratulations to Ryan Gunderson (Animal Studies and ESPP) whose paper, "The Will to Consume: Schopenhauer and Consumer Society" has just been accepted by Critical Horizons (a new critical theory journal edited by Jay Bernstein of the New School).

News: Congratulations to Cam Whitley for his paper "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Applying Image-based Learning to Course Design" in the current issue of Teaching Sociology (41(2):188-198

News: Animal Studies graduate student Jennifer Kelly was awarded dissertation funding by the Culture & Animals Foundation for her field study of human-jaguar relations in Costa Rica.

Stories from the Field: Animal Studies graduate student Chris Jordan rescued a baby tapir with the Ecological Battalion of the Nicaraguan army. They named her Batata. Video of Batata

Event: MSU Animal Studies students Ian Werkheiser, Christina Leshko, Seven Mattes, and Samantha Noll have organized the First Annual Workshop on "Food Justice and Peace: Bringing Theory and Practice Together" at Michigan State University, April 12th-13th. Registration is at: http://foodjusticepeace.org/ registration/

Event: There was a conference at the Law School on April 4, "Chicken Farming in the 21st Century" dealing with welfare and environmental issues - http://www.law.msu.edu/ chicken/

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