The Animals & Society Institute is an essential organization working at improving our knowledge of human-animal relationships in order to develop more respectful and compassionate relationships with other animals. They provide useful resources for teachers, educators, researchers, and activists. The fellowship in human-animal studies they sponsor at Wesleyan University is a unique opportunity for researchers around the world to spend two months researching, writing and learning from other international scholars on animal-related issues. I have greatly benefited from it.
Animals & Society Insitute has provided me with a fantastic opportunity. I am grateful to ASI beyond words! I have been a recipient of the ASI/WAS fellowship in human-animal studies. The fellows are provided with office space, acces to resources and - most importantly - access to stimulating peer feedback and discussions. This is basically the only fellowship of its kind in the world, which creates a unique intellectual community of scholars who would not have met otherwise.
I was a fellow in 2011 and spent 6 weeks at Wesleyan University doing research and writing with the support of ASI. They have been a crucial part of my successes in both my PhD program and in my early career as an academic. The staff at ASI remain in contact and interested in me and my work and I admire the work that they do on all fronts in studying, promoting, and improving human-animal relationships.
ASI is a wonderful organization that provides knowledge and expertise in HAS. It is only because of ASI that I became aware of HAS. I always knew that I wanted to study companion animals outside of veterinary medicine but didn't know where to start. I stumbled across ASI's web site and it opened up a world to me that I didn't knew existed. HAS research and awareness are critical to our society, I thank ASI for providing it.
I've been both a board and staff member of the Animals and Society Institute for more than 10 years, and am currently on the board.
I want to share a story about Andrea, who was a sophomore in college when she became involved in ASI by starting a student group. We got to know each other and one day several years ago, she asked me to meet her for coffee near campus. She couldn't wait to tell me some news. She'd met with her advisor and been able to create a special program. Essentially, she told me, she'd be able to graduate with a human-animal studies major, by putting together courses from various disciplines, all of them focused on human-animal relationships.
ASI was a huge influence, Andrea said. "When I came to college, I knew I wanted to work with animals. But I thought my only option was to become a veterinarian. I wasn't sure that was for me. But ASI opened my eyes to the possibilities for students who want to study our relationships with animals. Thanks to ASI, not only did I learn about the field of HAS, but you provided me with resources to convince the college administration that my concentration was a viable and credible academic program."
As a volunteer and graduate student, I would like to commend and give thanks to the Animals and Society Institute (ASI) for the breadth and depth of materials it makes available on its website and personal support it offers those attempting to enter the field of Human Animal Studies (HAS). I’m so pleased to read about the ever growing number of courses at the graduate and undergraduate level that investigate, analyze, and offer new ways of thinking and speaking about our complex relationships with animals within diverse fields of study. As HAS students graduate and enter careers, they will bring with them their insights, understandings and greater compassion for the intricacies and subtleties of the many positive and negative relationships between people and animals to society and its institutions. I look forward to learning more about ASI’s other programs. I really appreciate that ASI is focused upon helping both animals and people to create more compassionate communities. I am very proud and honored to be a volunteer for the Animals and Society Institute.
As a sociologist with a specialty interest in human-animal studies, I have benefited from the work of ASI. They help to bring inter-disciplinary scholars together, which bridges academic boundaries, thus promoting conversation across a variety of knowledge bases. Their work supports not only the scholarship surrounding non-human animals, but the lived experiences of the animals themselves. This is an exceptional nonprofit organization.
Through summer fellowships, the Animals & Society Institute has fostered animal studies scholars for ten years. I was a fellow in 2012. My experiences there were invaluable and jump-started my recent research program. ASI is truly a great nonprofit.
ASI is a great nonprofit dedicated to Human-Animal Studies (HAS). It works behind the scenes to research and build awareness of the human-animal relationship. ASI has become a great resource for students, scholars and professionals. This is because they send out monthly newsletters and provides a wonderful online store where individuals can receive books and more about their topic of interest. They also have two magazines (JAAWS and Animal & Society) that have leading articles about HAS. I can't wait to see where ASI's journey takes them next!
The Animals & Society Institute is a wonderful resource for scholars of animal issues. They provide wonderful overviews of current issues, distribute important calls for papers and recent publications, and they support scholars at all stages of their careers.
Animals and Society Institute is a great resource for the community of Ann Arbor as well as the world at large. ASI provides services to all individuals through programs, workshops, and the reviewing and editing of articles in two journals on the human-animal bond to help foster a more loving relationship with animals.
ASI's website and Facebook page provide many avenues to help create more compassionate communities for both humans as well as all animals. The organization's donors, members, employees, and volunteers all value these ideas and work endlessly to improve the lives of animals near and far.
As a current volunteer I have personally experienced how hardworking and dedicated ASI is to ending cruelty towards animals. I am constantly inspired by the work ethic and love for animals that all ASI affiliates have!
