Melissa Robin Shyan-norwalt

Biography

Dr. Shyan-Norwalt received her Doctorate in Experimental Psychology at the University of Hawaii in Comparative Cognition. After a two-year postdoctoral fellowship on research in primate cognition at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, she taught for two years at Southwest Texas State University, and then moved to Butler University in Indianapolis, where she taught experimental methods, learning, and cognition for 13 years. She has been a college professor, published scientist, animal shelter manager, and animal behaviorist. She is an Educator Assistant Professor in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati and runs a private practice in companion, domestic, and exotic animal behavior.

Research Interest

Although I am an Educator Assistant Professor of Psychology, I have a history of research in Comparative Cognition. I have three primary research interests: 1. (Basic science) the processes related to the serial list memory and the serial position effect, 2. The behavioral correlates of perception, and 3. (Applied science) models of scientifically-based animal enrichment, scientifically based behavior problem solving and the human–animal bond. I also maintain a professional practice. I am a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB, certified by the Animal Behavior Society), and was a member of the Board of Professional Certification for four years. I provide behavioral consultations for private animal owners, zoos, and laboratories.