**Courtney is the 2021 winner of the Cross Research Prize for best postdoctoral paper in the School of BEES** View Courtney's paper here: CKC_Conversation

Contact Details:

• School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences
• courtney.collins@ucc.ie
• 353 21 490 4553

Courtney is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of BEES at UCC. Her current research focuses on human-animal interactions in the zoo and the zoo visitor experience including behaviour, engagement and education. 

Courtney has a BA in biology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA and an MSc by research from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Her Master’s research focused on visitor effects in captive animals at Dublin Zoo. She completed her PhD at University College Cork, Ireland in 2018. Her PhD research was an investigation of the relationship between education, zoo visitors and animal behaviour. This research was carried out at Fota Wildlife Park and Dingle Aquarium in Ireland. 

Courtney’s research interests include animal behaviour, visitor effects and experience, and environmental education. Specifically, she is interested in captive animal behaviour as it relates to the zoo setting and zoo visitors. Her PhD focused on developing an educational intervention to enhance visitor learning and reduce negative visitor behaviour while promoting positive animal welfare. Currently, Courtney is investigating the zoo visitor experience and how this relates to pro-conservation behaviour. This research is essential in helping zoos maintain positive animal welfare, while fulfilling their goals of education and conservation.