Dr. Marguerite (Maggie) O’Haire is an internationally recognized Fulbright Scholar and the Associate Dean for Research at the College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her BA in Psychology from Vassar College in New York and her PhD in Psychology from The University of Queensland in Australia. Her research program focuses on the unique and pervasive ways humans interact with animals.

Clare joined the OHAIRE Lab as a project coordinator in January 2018 and began her PhD in August 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where she researched augmentation of taste aversion learning. After graduating, Clare also worked as a project coordinator on a crime reduction study through the University of Michigan School of Public Health. At Purdue, Clare is part of the NIH-funded study focusing on the efficacy of service dogs for military veterans with PTSD. This focus will build into her upcoming dissertation.  

Leanne began her PhD in the OHAIRE Lab in August 2019. She earned her Master of Science in Communication and her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at North Carolina State University. Before joining the OHAIRE Lab, her research focused on the human-horse interaction during equine-assisted mental health sessions. At Purdue, Leanne is part of the NIH-funded study focusing on the efficacy of service dogs for veterans with PTSD. She is particularly interested in service dogs' influence on family dynamics. 

Elise joined the OHAIRE lab in August 2020. As a Data-Focused Undergraduate Research Assistant, she has mainly worked on data preparation and analysis for our NIH-funded study in collaboration with service dog provider K9s For Warriors. In August of 2021, she took on the Lead Data Research Assistant role and currently leads our team of data-focused undergraduate research assistants in various data-related projects. Elise will graduate from Purdue University in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Data Science, a second major in Applied Statistics, and minors in Mathematics and Spanish.

Sarah joined the OHAIRE Lab as a PhD student in 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Neurobiology & Animal Behavior at Cornell University and will receive a Master of Science in Human-Animal Interaction from Purdue University in 2022. Starting in 2010, Sarah gained extensive experience in the assistance dog industry through her work with Canine Companions, a national nonprofit service dog provider, and subsequently as an expert consultant. As part of her industry work, Sarah was closely involved in the research and development of programs to place service dogs with military veterans with PTSD and children with autism spectrum disorder, topics which she continues to explore in her work with the OHAIRE Lab.