Fostering Empathy for Animals - A Conservation Psychology Webinar 

Presenter

Kathayoon Khalil, PhD is the Conservation Impact Manager for the Oregon Zoo. Prior to joining the zoo, Kathayoon was the Principal Evaluator for the Seattle Aquarium and the Director of Evaluation at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She received her PhD in Learning Sciences and Technology Design from Stanford University, studying the use of social network analysis to understand how innovation spreads among the zoo and aquarium community. 

Kathayoon is a conservation psychologist and a social scientist. As such, Kathayoon oversees the creation and implementation of the zoo’s Integrated Conservation Action Plan, as well as all evaluation, visitor studies, and social science research for the Zoo. In addition to coaching staff on evaluation techniques and building internal capacity in evaluation, Kathayoon collaborates with colleagues from around the world on research projects to advance our understanding of learning in zoos and aquariums. Kathayoon is also a researcher for Fostering Empathy for Animals, a joint project among the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. In this capacity, Kathayoon participates in publications, public speaking engagements, and conducts workshops on empathy development and measurement.