National Canine Research Council (NCRC) is pleased to announce that Cynthia Bathurst, Ph.D. has been named its Managing Director. Cynthia has been an advisor to NCRC since 2010 and is the Animal Farm Foundation Secretary of the Board. She brings her experience and perspective as founder and CEO of the nonprofit Safe Humane and her expertise in rhetoric to her new role. She holds a Ph.D. through the English Department at The University of Iowa and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Alabama.

At NCRC Dr. Bathurst has been involved in developing resources for law enforcement on encounters with dogs. She co-authored the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) manual “The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters” and was the Content Producer for the video series “Police and Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep our Communities Safe and Humane,” which was distributed by the USDOJ COPS Office. She also served for twenty-two years on the City of Chicago’s Commission on Animal Care and Control (CACC), serving as its chair for more than ten years, and was the recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Award, which is given to a non-veterinarian who has advanced animal well-being, shown exemplary dedication to the care of animals, and contributed to animals and society.

We at NCRC look forward to advancing our mission and projects with the growing and continued expertise of staff, consultants, and advisors.