About Our Research Group

Ph: 765-496-6665 (office) 
Fax: 765-494-9830
Email: ccroney@purdue.edu

Education

• PhD, Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 1999
• MS, Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 1999​
• BS, Animal Science, Rutgers University, 1993 

Research

My goal is to better understand how to meet the needs of agricultural (pigs) and companion animals (cats and dogs) so that we can improve the quality of life these animals experience whether they are housed on farms,  maintained in laboratories, or kept in shelters or breeding kennels. I also aim to understand the ethical implications of animal care and use decisions and how people’s values, beliefs and attitudes impact their perceptions of animal agriculture, animal welfare and related communications and policies.

My group uses animal behavior and health to evaluate how well animals are coping in the environments in which they are kept and how they respond to interventions intended to support their well-being (e.g., enhancing the quality and complexity of their environments through enrichment, using low stress handling techniques, designing housing environments that accommodate their behavioral needs).  Our collaborations with social scientists use surveys, questionnaires and focus groups to gauge people’s views and related behaviors on animal welfare issues.  These approaches have helped us to clarify what sources of information people use to inform themselves on animal welfare, how animal welfare may be related to notions of corporate and individual social responsibility, and how these insights may help decision-makers and policy influencers.

Education

• 2023 – PhD, Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK
• 2018 – MSc, Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK
• 2003 – BSc, Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico 

Research

I am a veterinarian interested in different aspects of animal welfare and behaviour. I am particularly interested in understanding how the animal’s mental and physical states are affected by their living environment, and what changes can be implemented in order to improve the animal’s wellbeing.

In my MSc thesis, using quantitative and qualitative behavioral assessing methods, I evaluated how dogs maintained in Commercial Breeding Facilities reacted to the presence of an unfamiliar person.

My PhD in Biological Sciences also focused on studying the welfare of Commercial Breeding Dogs. Integrating behavioral, physiologicaI and cognitive measures, I explored how the commercial breeding environment affects the behavior and welfare of adult breeding dams at different stages of the reproductive cycle.

Other specific research interests include the study of animal cognition and exploring interspecific (animal-human) communication skills in domestic animals.

My work at the Croney Research Lab focuses on assessing the behaviour and welfare of breeding dams maintained in commercial breeding kennels in the U.S. Specifically, exploring the impact management practices may have on influencing the behavioral and physical health of breeding dams.

Education

• 2017 - PhD, Psychology, University of California at Berkeley

• 2010 - BA, Psychology/Minor in Statistics, California State University East Bay

Research

I am broadly interested in companion animal behavior, cognition, and welfare. My PhD explored the food-storing behavior and social interactions of free-ranging fox squirrels. After my PhD, I was a postdoc at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. My research at UC Davis explored the health and behavior of orphaned neonatal kittens, and the social and feeding behaviors of domestic cats.

My research interests include:

• animal play behavior

• the use of enrichment for companion animals

• the effects of early life experiences on later outcomes for companion animals

I am a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (Animal Behavior Society), a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), and an Affiliate Member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Education: 

• BS,  Animal Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
• Ph.D., Comparative and Veterinary Medicine, emphasis on applied ethology and animal welfare science, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Research:

Before joining the Croney Research Group as a Senior Research Associate, Dr. Stella was a USDA Science Fellow with the APHIS-Center for Animal Welfare and a visiting scholar at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research interests include environmental factors that affect the behavior and welfare of confined animals and the impact of the quality of human-animal interactions on animal welfare.  Her research has focused on assessing the behavior and welfare of domestic cats and dogs housed in biomedical laboratories, shelters, veterinary hospitals, and commercial breeding facilities.

Growing up on a small farm in northern Indiana sparked my early passion for animals and science, which guided my academic and career path. I earned a BS in Animal Science from Purdue University, where I first developed an interest in research, and went on to complete an MS in Reproductive Biology at the University of Tennessee. I later returned to West Lafayette to join the USDA LBRU as a Support Animal Scientist before transitioning in to my current role as the Research Administrative Specialist for the Croney Research Group. My research experience spans multiple species, including canine, swine, cattle, poultry, and mice, as well as cell and embryo culture.