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Washington State University
College of Education

Phyllis Erdman

Phyllis Erdman

Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Pullman campus
Cleveland hall 160D
pullman, WA  99164

509-335-1738
perdman@wsu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Research/professional interests

Phyllis Erdman’s professional background is marriage and family therapy and viewing the impact of relationships from a systemic lens. Her current research focus is looking at the interaction between humans and animals and the therapeutic benefit of that relationship. She has conducted research and presented on animal loss and how humans conceptualize and process that grief. She is involved in ethical and legal aspects of policies regarding emotional support animals, therapy, and  service animals with a strong emphasis on the welfare of the animal. She is interested in promoting the field of human-animal interaction from a multidisciplinary framework. She is past chair and actively involved in the APA Div 17 section – Human-Animal Interaction.

Recent accomplishments

NEW BOOKS recently published
  • Kogan, L. and Erdman, P. (Eds). Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists. Routledge/Taylor and Francis.
  • Kogan, L. and Erdman, P. (Eds)  (2019). Pet loss, grief, and therapeutic interventions: Practitioners navigating the human-animal bond. Routledge.
BOOK in progress
  • The Gifts We Receive from Animals –Stories to Warm the Heart. This book will be a collection of short true-life stories, written by animal assisted intervention  professionals
Selected CHAPTERS and ARTICLES
  • Kogan, L., Erdman, P., Currin-McCulloch, J., Bussolari, C., Packman, W. (2021). The impact of COVID on cat guardians: Veterinary issues. Animals 11(3), 603; doi:10.3390/ani11030603
  • Kogan, L,, Erdman, P., Bussolari, C., Currin-McCulloch, J., Packmand, W. (2021) – The initial months of COVID-19: Dog owners’ veterinary-related concerns.   Frontiers in Veterinary Science, | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.629121
  • Bussolari C, Currin-McCulloch J, Packman W, Kogan L, Erdman P. (2021). II Couldn’t Have Asked for a Better Quarantine Partner!”: Experiences with Companion Dogs during Covid-19. Animals. 2021; 11(2):330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020330
  • Reilly, K., Adesope, O., & Erdman, P. (2020) The effects of dogs on learning: A meta-analysis. Anthrozoos, 33:3, 339-360, DOI: 10.1080/08927936.2020.1746523
  • Erdman, P., Johnson, A., Hart, L. A. (2020). Incorporating a therapy dog into your practice: Some considerations. Human Animal Interaction Bulletin, 8 (1), 93-100
  • Schroeder, K., Van Allen, J., Dhurandhar, E., Lancaster, B., Heidari, Z., Cazenave, K., Boone, D., & Erdman, P. (2019). Riding into health: A pilot study on an equine-assisted childhood obesity intervention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(23), 4835:  https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4835
  • Erdman, P., LaFollette, M., Steklis, N., Steklis, D., Germane, M., & Kogan, L. (2018). Guide to human-animal interaction education. Human Animal Interaction Bulletin, 6, 37-46.

Educational background

  • Ph.D., Counseling, with specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX
  • M.Ed., Counseling, University of Houston, Houston, TX
  • BA, Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX