Our project could not be run without the hard work of these students.
Team Padfoot
Claire Little
Claire Little is an undergraduate Honors nursing student at the University of Arkansas. She is conducting research to identify the impact of animal-assisted therapy on prosocial behavior in children diagnosed with autism. She is comparing this to the impact on prosocial behavior observed using a stuffed model of the animal. After graduating she plans to work as a nurse in Labor and Delivery or the Emergency Department, then pursue a doctorate degree to become a nurse practitioner.
Delaney Piantanida
Delaney is a junior Honors student in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas. She is currently involved in research on animal-assisted therapy and its effects on children with autism spectrum disorder. She looks forward to learning more about ASD, as well as animal-assisted therapy, and is interested in the practical use of this to provide quality care in the workplace. She plans to pursue a job as a registered nurse after graduating in December 2024, either working in a pediatric ICU or in the pediatric oncology field.
Caroline Kilo
Caroline is a junior Honors student majoring in Nursing with a minor in Spanish. She will be involved in researching the impact of animal-assisted therapy on the prosocial behavior of children with autism. She looks forward to combining her passions for nursing and Spanish to provide care for Spanish-speaking families and children. After graduation, she plans to work as a bilingual registered nurse in Cardiology or Surgery.
Ava Wisinger
Ava is senior Honors nursing student at the University of Arkansas’s Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. She is involved in researching the impact of animal-assisted therapy on the prosocial behavior and emotional regulation of children with autism apart from sessions. She is investigating if there is a difference in behavior between the Snuffles and Gryffin groups. After graduating in May 2025, she plans to pursue a job as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department or Surgery.
Team Diagnostics
Emma Bourgeois
Emma Grace is a junior Honors student in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas. She is comparing the effect of AAT on behavior based on the ADOS-2 comparison scores to note differences in human-animal interaction and bonding between Gryffin and participants of varying ASD presentation. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a job as a registered nurse in the pediatric ICU, and eventually earn a Master of Nursing and work as a nurse practitioner.
Emma Harper
Emma is a junior Honors student majoring in Nursing at the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas. She is investigating human-animal bonding during AAT sessions between Gryffin and children with ASD who have varying symptomology. She is thrilled to be a part this research team and is looking forward to learning more about ASD. Post graduation, she hopes to pursue a job as a registered nurse in the emergency department or ICU, and eventually earn a Master of Nursing to become a licensed acute care nurse practitioner.
A4A Intern
Hannah Steimer
Hannah is a senior Honors Nursing student with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. She is involved in an internship exploring nurse practitioner-led clinics to address lack of access for autism management. After graduation, Hannah hopes to work in Pediatrics or Labor and Delivery and eventually become a nurse practitioner.
