Coordinators

The coordinators serve as points of contact for managing communication between the ISZ and specific geographic areas.

Clara Arici

University of Bologna (IT)

Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland

I graduated with honours in Philosophical Sciences from the Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna. My research interests range from the study of animal ontology to the theoretical premises of ethology; I am currently investigating some issues related to the possibility of naturalising consciousness in the philosophy of mind (a possibility with which I do not personally agree) and about the contribution of ethology to the philosophy of mind and cognitive sciences. I am also interested in the practical implications of philosophical ethology, namely an approach to ethology based on a mutual exchange with philosophy in relation to these issues. During my studies, I took a number of courses in ethology and I am planning to pursue a Ph.D. programme to further my research interests.
Contact: claraarici@gmail.com / +39 331 7456943

Maria Dolores Ayala

University of Mursia (ES)

Spain

Mª Dolores Ayala is professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Murcia (Spain). She is currently doing some research on animal-assisted interventions, analysing different physiological parameters and biological markers that are indicators of human and animal well-being. She has additionally conducted various training courses in this field, collaborating with institutions dedicated to this line of work, such as the Centauro Quirón Foundation (Murcia, Spagna) and the Istituto di Formazione zooantropologica (SIUA, Bologna, Italia).

Vahid Askarpour

University of Manitoba (CA)

Canada

I am a Ph.D. student in anthropology at the University of Manitoba. I received my former Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Tehran. My research focuses on the theoretical issues in anthropology, cognitive aspects of material culture and anthropological research in a post-humanist framework. My publications include six professional books and numerous articles in Persian and English on relevant topics, including Arche and Logos of Cognitive Archaeology, Theory and Method in the Archaeology of Art, and The Prehistory of Images. I am currently working on a thesis about the material engagement theory and the making of national identity. I also have a good experience in ethnoarchaeological and ethnographical field studies. Before coming to Canada, I was an assistant professor at the Tabriz Art University, Iran.
Contact: askarpov@myumanitoba.ca / +437 928 1330

Abubakr Jamal

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (MY)

India and South-East Asia

I am Abubakr Jamal I am from Chennai and am doing my PhD in Education at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. I have research experience in Ecology, Multispecies Ethnography, and Education. I am currently working on Anthropocene Education in South Indian schools, and am interested in the intersection between marginalized religious communities in South India and nonhuman animals, as well as Posthumanist themes in popular art.
Contact: @AbubakrJamalSci on Twitter

Amanda Minervini

Colorado College (USA)

United States

Federica Nunziata

Central America

I was born in Naples on 15 March 1985.

Miriana Maio

University of Tartu (EE)

Northern Europe

I am a Ph.D. Student in Philosophy at the University of Tartu. I graduated in Language and Mind at the University of Siena. Although my major was Linguistics, I decided to take additional exams in philosophy in order to acquire a more comprehensive understanding of both fields. My research interests lie in Animal Cognition, Cognitive Ethology and Philosophical Ethology as well as Philosophy of Mind and Philosophy of Psychology. I am particularly intrigued by the possibility of non-human animals having a weak self-knowledge that goes beyond metacognition. And I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the field.

Dario Martinelli

Kaunas University of Technology (LT)

Baltic Republics

Dario Martinelli is Professor at Kaunas University of Technology, Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Helsinki and Lapland, and Chief Editor of the Springer series “Humanities – Arts and Humanities in Progress.” To date he has authored fifteen monographs and approximately 150 edited volumes, studies, and scientific articles. He has served as a Visiting Professor in various academic institutions and given lectures in fourteen different academic institutions in Europe. He has received several awards, including the title of Knight bestowed by the Italian Republic in 2006 for his contribution to Italian culture.

Jessica Ullrich

Kunstakademie Münster (DE)

Germany

Jessica Ullrich is professor of art history and aesthetics at the University of Fine Arts Münster. She curated art exhibitions and video screenings on animals and art in Berlin, Utrecht and Sao Paulo and published exhibition catalogues, collections of essays and articles on contemporary art and on human-animal relations in art. Jessica is the editor of Tierstudien, the journal for animal studies.