Program
ABS 2026 In-Person Meeting Program
The current ABS 2026 In-Person Meeting program is listed below. Please be sure to reference this page regularly as program changes are expected up until the meeting.
Click here to view a printable version of the program.
Affiliations:
Tuesday, July 14
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Workshop 3: Weaving the Future of Animal Behavior (WFAB): a Professional-Development Workshop for Pre-Tenure Faculty and Postdoctoral Researchers in Animal Behavior
Chairs: Gail Patricelli, Karan Odom, Kelly Ronald and Jennifer Smith |
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9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Workshop 1: the Beginner's Guide to Agent-Based Modeling for Animal Behavior
Chairs: Elizabeth Hobson, Vanessa Ferdinand |
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12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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Executive Committee Meeting (by Invitation Only)
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1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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Workshop 2: Observer Reliability in Animal Behavior Research
Chairs: Cassandra Tucker, Sarah J.J. Adcock, Jennifer M.C. Van Os, Carly Moody and Blair C. Downey |
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1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
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Turner Workshop (by Invitation Only)
Chairs: Flavia Barbosa |
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5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
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Welcome Reception
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6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
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Presidential Lecture - Beth Jakob
Chairs: Kasey Fowler-Finn |
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Wednesday, July 15
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
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Morning Coffee
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8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
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Keynote - Patty Brennan
Chairs: Michele Johnson |
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9:15 AM – 9:45 AM
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Coffee Break
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9:45 AM – 12:15 PM
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Symposium: Cultural Evolution of Vocal Communication: Behavioral Mechanisms and Outcomes (1)
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Genetics and Genomics of Behavior
Chairs: Gitanjali Gnanadesikan, Julia Saltz |
Sensory Pollution
Chairs: Kelly Ronald, Alejandro Velez |
Applied Behavior and Cognition
Chairs: Ellen Furlong, Rebecca Singer |
Behavioral Plasticity
Chairs: Matthew Zipple, Cheyenne Tait |
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12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
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Grad School Info Session
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Education Committee Meeting
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Demystifying the Submission and Review Process at Animal Behaviour
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1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
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Symposium: the Legacy and Impact of Zuleyma Tang-Martinez's 50 Years of Contributions to the Animal Behavior Society (1)
Chairs: Debbie Boege-Tobin, Danielle Lee, Beth Congdon |
Symposium: Cultural Evolution of Vocal Communication: Behavioral Mechanisms and Outcomes (2)
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Behavior and Ecology
Chairs: Janice Yan, Lydia Wassink |
Social Behavior
Chairs: Antonio Rodrigues, Emily Laub |
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3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
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Coffee Break
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4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
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Mathematical Modeling of Behavior
Chairs: Suyash Sawant, Casey Lambert |
Symposium: the Legacy and Impact of Zuleyma Tang-Martinez's 50 Years of Contributions to the Animal Behavior Society (2)
Chairs: Debbie Boege-Tobin, Danielle Lee, Beth Congdon |
Communication Systems
Chairs: Jessie C. Tanner, Valentina Lopez Velasco |
Behavior in Education
Chairs: Clara L. Voorhees |
Aggression, Fear, and Pain
Chairs: Ummat Somjee, Beryl Jones |
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7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
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Plenary - Aimee Dunlap
Chairs: Jen Hamel |
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8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
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Poster Session 1
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Thursday, July 16
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
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Morning Coffee
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8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
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Plenary Session - Lien Luong
Chairs: Michal Polak |
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9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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Coffee Break
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9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
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Symposium: AI Insights into Animal Behavior Concepts (1)
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Social Communication
Chairs: Nakul Wewhare, Rindy Anderson |
Behavior and Conservation
Chairs: Alexander Berry, Anahit Amiri |
Applied Behavior: Companion Animals
Chairs: Steffanie Burk, Mindy Waite |
Foraging and Predation
Chairs: Claire Hemingway, James Lichtenstein |
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12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
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ECR Meet and Greet
Chairs: Sekhar M A. Students AND faculty are invited to attend an informal Lunch Meet and Greet on Thursday, July 16, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. This event is especially intended for faculty who are actively recruiting students and for students who are seeking graduate, postdoctoral, or other research opportunities for the fall or spring. The session is designed to encourage informal networking, conversations, and potential collaborations. Bring your own lunch! |
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12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
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Conservation Committee Meeting
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NSF Updates and Q&A
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Diversity Committee Meeting
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1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
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Symposium: AI Insights into Animal Behavior Concepts (2)
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Stress and Behavior
Chairs: Alyssa Cary, Jessica Cusick |
Intriguing Talk Titles
Chairs: Avery Russell, Ted Stankowich |
Applied Animal Behavior
Chairs: Meghan Barrett, Constance Woodman |
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3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
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Coffee Break
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4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
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Symposium: AI Insights into Animal Behavior Concepts (3)
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Color and Multisensory Cues
Chairs: Jordan Price, Nathan Morehouse |
Human-Animal Interactions
Chairs: Lauryn Benedict, Karen Jesch |
Host-Parasite Interactions
Chairs: Jose Crespo, Rachael Kramp |
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7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
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Plenary Session - Neil Losin & Nathan Dappen
Chairs: Nate Morehouse |
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8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
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Poster Session 2
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Friday, July 17
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
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Morning Coffee
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8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
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Plenary Session - Liz Hobson
Chairs: George Uetz |
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9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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Coffee Break
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9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
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Symposium: Predator, Prey, and Pet: Domestic Cats in Our Society (1)
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Allee Symposium (1)
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Sexual Selection
Chairs: Melissa Hughes, Joshua B. LaPergola |
Vocal Communication
Chairs: David E. Gammon, Sylvia L. Halkin |
Cognition and Learning
Chairs: Preston Foerder, Anya Parks |
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12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
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NSF Opportunities at Different Career Stages
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A/CAAB Professional Certification Meet and Greet
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Latino Meet & Greet (LAAC)
Please bring your own lunch. Lunch will not be provided. |
Building Your Community: Creating Collaborative Research at Small Liberal Arts Colleges
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1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
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Symposium: Predator, Prey, and Pet: Domestic Cats in Our Society (2)
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Allee Symposium (2)
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Development and Behavior
Chairs: Yusan Yang, Vivienne Foroughirad |
Mating Systems
Chairs: Matthew Wund, Susan Villarreal |
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3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
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Coffee Break
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4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
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Symposium: Predator, Prey, and Pet: Domestic Cats in Our Society (3)
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Social Structures
Chairs: Caroline Shearer, Adriana Maldonado-Chaparro |
Allee Symposium (3)
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Vision and Light
Chairs: Agustin Ivan Casale |
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5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
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Business Meeting
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7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
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Early Career Researchers Social
Early Career Researchers are invited to join us for the ECR Social on Friday, July 17, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The event will include pizza, games, and prizes. Faculty are also invited to join us from 8:30 p.m. onward. The ECR Social will be held at Igby’s, 122 E. 6th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, on Friday, July 17, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. We hope everyone will join us for a relaxed and enjoyable evening. |
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Saturday, July 18
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
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Morning Coffee
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8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
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Presidential Plenary Address - Eileen Lacey
Chairs: Beth Jakob |
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9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
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Coffee Break
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9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
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Weird Behaviors: You Gotta See This!
Chairs: Jay Stafstrom, Leila Goodrum |
Parental Care
Chairs: Dustin G. Reichard, Claudineia Pereira Costa |
Mechanisms of Social Behavior
Chairs: Karan J. Odom, William Botta |
Living in a Group
Chairs: Michael Reichert, Angela Freeman |
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11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
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Outreach Fair
The Outreach Fair will take place on July 18, from 11am-1pm at the Cincinnati Museum Center. There will be transportation between the ABS meeting and the Museum and we invite everyone to participate and present their science! |
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11:00 AM – 3:30 PM
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Public Day
Public Day is a free outreach event held annually during the Animal Behavior Society conference. This live event is open to all members of the community and features a series of talks by applied animal behavior professionals. This year's speakers will discuss the latest research and developments in pet training, pet care, and human-animal interactions. These talks are intended for a general audience; no scientific background needed! |
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1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
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Awards Ceremony
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2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
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Turner Closing Workshop (by Invitation Only)
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6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
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Conference Banquet (Ticket Required)
Join us for dinner and dancing to close out ABS 2026! |
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Tuesday, August 4
7:00 PM – 9:45 PM
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Virtual Film Festival
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