Psychology, Animal Behavior and Neuroscience
ERIKKA VAUGHN
Psychology
Spring 2010
For several years, before deciding to pursue a PhD at Indiana University Bloomington, Graduate Student Erikka Vaughan really wanted to teach.
Vaughan spent five summers as a camp counselor working with 10-13 year old adolescents. She saw firsthand how a positive influence can impact a child’s life. As an undergraduate she realized that through research she could answer questions that could help children.
Vaughan is now in her first-year of IU’s Psychology PhD program, where she is a member of the Midwest Crossroads AGEP. She was born and raised on Long Island, New York, and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in Psychology, and minored in Human Development.
Vaughan chose to work with IU Professor Dr. Brian D’Onofrio because his research is focused on family influences on child development. She said she appreciates her mentoring relationship because Dr. D’Onofrio is extremely supportive and encouraging, and also quite dedicated to his family.
One of her research interests is depression in children and adolescents. Currently, Vaughan is investigating the variation in the timing of menarche in girls and its correlation with later depressive outcomes.
In the future, she would like to continue doing research and teach. She also hopes to engage in clinical work at the community level.
EDUARDO FERNANDEZ
Animal Behavior
Spring 2005
Imagine getting a shot every morning that gave you all the nutrients you need for the day – you no longer need to eat. Do you think you’d still want to chew on something at certain points during the day? Would gum become an appealing habit or would your pen cap suffer? Would you still rummage around the fridge for food?
Eduardo Fernandez thinks you would. And, he says, the desire to forage is a big part of why animals in zoos often exhibit stereotypical behaviors. Polar bears pace, walruses swim in circles, and giraffes lick their barn doors. His research focuses not only on understanding why these behaviors take place, but also how to help animals be able to behave more like they would in the wild.
Many zoos have been experimenting with how to feed their animals by spreading food around for them to find, feeding them at different times of the day and techniques such as these have helped, but it’s important, Eduardo says, that we understand why animals behave as they do in captivity – that it’s not just that animals are bored, like is commonly thought.
For example, walruses spend all day skimming the bottom of the ocean and pounding the ocean floor looking for stuff to eat. One of Eduardo’s projects involves providing a feeding mat that zookeepers can stuff fish and mollusks into for the walrus to forage. Another project involves giving the walruses large balls with fish in them. The walrus takes the balls in their flippers and have to shake the balls to get the fish out one by one.
Another recent project involves polar bears, who have the largest home ranges of any land mammals and, not ironically, exhibit some of the most stereotypic behavior in captivity. With concern for global warming on the rise and the polar caps at risk, learning how to create natural environments allowing polar bears to be more themselves is more important than ever.
Eduardo Fernandez is a graduate student in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. To learn more about his research, visit his website.
Back to profile index