Kayce Cover Resume

Kayce Cover

757-588-5967

kc@synalia.com

http://www.synalia.com

 

Education:       Certified, eligible for licensure, Teacher of Science, Virginia 2002

                        MSED, Old Dominion University, Virginia,  Dec. 2002

                        BS, Animal Science, University of Maryland,  Dec. 1989

 

Key Note Speaker: AustralAsian Conference on Zoo Training and Conditioning, hosted by Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia, November 2003.  Other presentations for professional organizations,  2004:  AZA, ISAZ, ABA

 

Consultant, Syn Alia Animal Training
Systems, 1990-present

 

·        Certification for professional trainers.

·        Resources for animal trainers (manuals,
articles, videos, and seminars, including “An Introduction to Bridge and
Target Training,” Syn Alia Series, the first explanation of the
intermediate bridge and these techniques available to the public.  See also
publication list).

·        Research and behavioral engineering to develop animal based solutions to human and animal needs; 

·        Consultant, trainer and animal manager;
implements state of the art training programs and husbandry/animal management systems in
domestic and exotic animal facilities, trains and motivates staff, designs and develops
demonstrations for public education and entertainment, trains and manages
animal models/actors.

·        Seminars, classes and events on animal training, training of new professionals, throughout the United States and Internationally.

 

Projects:

·        Training for staff members of zoos – Smithsonian National
Zoological Park, Taronga Zoo, Adelaide Zoo, Oakland Zoo, Quebec Aquarium,
Mesker Park Zoo, Aurora Park Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Antwerpen
DierenPark, Good Day’s Ranch,

·        Animal rescue organizations- HorseNet and Dog Ears and Paws, and Wood Green Animal Shelters,

·        Private facilities –
Ancient Oaks Farm, Silverdale Farm, Canine Horizons, 100 Acres Woods Farm,
Talisman Dogs,

 

Technical
staff, University of Maryland 1987-1990

 

·        Training of faculty in animal behavioral training methods, as a research tool.

·        Analysis and review of technical research.

·        Research support, behavioral management technical expert:  

 

Projects:

·        Voluntary blood sampling in free-standing pigs;  1990

·        Training of trainers, -
University of Maryland affiliates (1989), University of Maryland Swine Unit
Research Personnel (1987), University of Maryland Faculty, Animal Science
Department (1987). (8-hour course with practicum).

·
Heifers trained for estrus detection (teaching cows to tell us if they wanted food or a five
minute date with a bull). 1987.

·
Litter Training a horse,
UMCP 1987.

·        Chickens trained to perform in a Wild West chicken show project for training student trainers.
1990.

 

Keeper leader, National
Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution,  1979-87

 

·        Public demonstrations designed and presented to over 1,000,000 visitors.

·        Marine
mammal health maintenance training program, Grey Seals trained to stand for voluntary blood sampling, teeth
cleaning, general examination, mammary inspection as well as for cooperation in
their own care in moving throughout the exhibits and in the public areas,
collection of weights, attention to pups and public interaction.  Sea Lions as above.  These animals were
managed in mixed sex groups on public display in large, enriched enclosures and
vet work was often done before audiences at exhibit poolside.

·        Carnivore
health maintenance program, (bears,
wolves, bush dogs, otters, cheetahs trained to cooperate in their own care, from taking injections,
allowing tooth inspection and hair samples, to fly spray and wiper door use.)

·        Volunteer
keeper program
1980-7.  Young people trained to become animal specialists and authors of their
own significant work.  Provided over 15,000 man hours in the first five years of the program

·        FONZ
Educational presentation volunteer program, NZP, SI, 1980-85.

·        Smithsonian
Resident Associates tour leader, 1979-86.

·        Friends
of the National Zoo,Instructor
and Tour Leader
numerous classes, tours and events

 

Projects:

·        Communication
through graphic symbols, Grey Seals 1979-1981

·        “Human Animal Partnership Program” hosted by the National Zoo, 1980 (co-organizer).

·        Eye
Damage Data Collection, 1979 to 1982

.

 

Marine mammal trainer and keeper, Mystic Marinelife Aquarium 1978-79

 

·        Trained dolphins, whales, seals and sea
lions, for husbandry and public demonstrations.

·        Presented educational public
demonstrations highlighting the behavior and physiology of marine mammals (1500 audience capacity, up to 11 shows a day).

 

Student research, technical assistant, University of California, San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Physiology Research
Lab (Gerry Kooyman, Ph. D.)

 

·
Training Northern Fur Seals for Physiology Research,
Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, La Jolla, Cal, 1973-6. Presented at the IMATA
conference, 1974.  Taught Callorhinus ursinus to cooperate in their own care
and in metabolic research. The animals learned to voluntarily enter metabolic
chambers.

·
Physiology
research with California Sea Lions and Harbor Seals. These animals were taught to
cooperate in their general husbandry and veterinary care, to follow a research
cart to give lung air samples, to breath on cue, and to wear harnesses with
time-depth recorders to pretest them for field conditions.

 

 

Research,  Development and Programs

           

·
Current
projects: 

o
Manual of
training plans and practices, for Zoo Staffs AND

o
Management
and Training Plans for Animal Shelters and Rescue Organizations

·
Trainer
Development Series, Internationally
presented,
giving developing trainers a basis in bridge and target training.

·
Horse Seminar
Series, DVH, Darnestown, MD.  A series of guided learning presentations designed to teach lay horsemen
to apply Bridge and Target training to equitation. 1995-6

·
Horse
Project,
Silverdale Farms, LTD, Freeland, MD. A general training and husbandry program
for brood mares and foals to turn out World Class Champions.  Expected
finishing of new foals – 1997.

·
Potbellied
pig project:
taught pig to identify body parts, letters, numbers, pictures, colors, and
words. 

·
“This
Piggie Went to the Vets”: taking temperature, taking injections, allowing blood
sampling and hoof trimming, naming body parts.

·
Syn Alia
Combined Training Events for Pet Pigs (a standardized, “teach as they compete” set
of agility, obedience, citizenship and specialty exercises for pigs.  Pigs can
earn degrees of higher learning, culminating in the designation, “Pig
‘X’traordinaire”. Premiered at California State Fair, CalEXPO.

·
Training,
husbandry and staff development, at the facilities of various private clients.

·
Feasibility
Project:  Training
Nurse Sharks,
Aquarium of the Americas, 1996

·
“Ferrets
to Police Steam Lines” problem analysis and proposal, Potomac Electric and
Power Company, 1986.

·
“Pigeons
to Guide the Sightless” 1983, phase I.

·
Monkeys
to Aid Quadriplegics, 1979 (first presented in Medical World News), co-founder.  This project developed into “Helping
Hands for the Handicapped” as featured nationally and internationally in
major news media (60 minutes, Today, Good Morning America, Stern, Smithsonian,
Readers Digest…).

 

Public presentations:

·
International
Society for Anthrozoology, (ISAZ) Glasgow, Scotland, Oct 2004

·
Association
of Zoos and Aquariums, (AZA) New Orleans, Louisiana, 2004

·
Association
of Behavior Analysts, (ABA)  Boston, Massachusetts, 2004

·
AustralAsian
Conference on Zoo Training and Conditioning, Taronga Zoo 2003

·
“Animal
Welfare and the Food Industry,” guest lecturer, Food Sciences Senior Seminar Class,
February 1990.

·
“Communication
and Motivation,” International Food Technologist Dairy Conference dinner speaker  November
1989.

·
“Animal
Training Technology, the State of the Art”, Public Seminar, University of
MD- CP, June 1989.

·
“Application
of Animal Training Technology”, Faculty Seminar, University of MD- CP, November 1986.

·
“Amahl
and the Night Visitors,” Monkey and Sheep for Kennedy Center Opera, 1988.

·
“The
Importance of Being Earnest,” Free Flight Pigeons for Arena Stage, 1986.

·
“Real
Estate,”  Free run Dog for Arena Stage, 1985.

·
“Monkeys
Trained to Aid Quadriplegics,” behavior staff/primate steering committee seminar, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 1980.

·
“COMPUCHIN”,  Honorable Mention (top 25 of
800 entrants), Johns
HopkinsFirst National Search for
Computing to Aid the Handicapped, 1980.

 

 

Publications:  See also “Public Presentations”

• Numerous
  articles.  Please see http://www.synalia.com/resources.html#articles

·
Teaching Dogs to Manage their
Emotions:  Perception Modification, AAPDT Nwsltr, 2003

• Syn
  Alia Series: Vol I: An Introduction to Bridge and Target Technique,  Revised edition 2002
• North
  American River Otter Enrichment, AZA publication pending, 2002
• Protected
  Contact, a New Era in Elephant Management, American Animal Trainer
  Magazine,
  July 2002
• Introducing
  the Intermediate Bridge, American Animal Trainer Magazine,  Oct 2002,
• Primate
  Care Journal
  2001,
• “Who’s
  Training Who.”  feature of Simian Society of America.
• The
  Journal of PsyETA:  http://www.psyeta.org/hia/vol8/cover.html :  Bridge and Target Training:
  Beyond Behavior Modification  Sep 94

·
Pot
Bellied Pigs Magazine    1991 – 1993

o
Litter
Perfect, litter
training

o
The Root
of the Problem,
or Squaring the Root of a Pig, how to constructively redirect rooting behavior

o
Perfect
Presents,
preparing for the new pig, quarantine, travel and introductions

o
Pig
Prescription I:
Vet Exam Training, general examinations, injections and temperature

o
Pig
Prescription II:
Vet Exam Training, mouth, dental work, hoof care

o
Home Away
from Home, the
travel kennel

o
Teaching
“Come” and “Heel,”

o
Harnessing
Pig Power,
harness training

o
Festivities
and Fun for All,
games for pigs and people

o
Stay: To Remain in One Spot!

·
NAPPA
Newsletter       1992
- 1993

o
CalExpo
or Bust! blood
sampling to get pigs to the fair

o
To Train
or Not to Train,
why train a pet pig?

o
Stress
and the Health and Welfare of Your Pig

·
Zooculturist:
How to Catch the Fast Train, the benefits and logistics of training exotic animals,
how to buy consultation services  Dec 92

·
Animals
Exotic and Small:  Monkeyshines, teaching monkeys to be nonaggressive Dec 92

·
International
Marine Animal Trainer’s Assoc. – Conference Proceed.

o
Teaching
People to Train Animals, with J. Zeligs Nov 91

o
Information
Storage and Retrieval System,  Nov 81

o
Fur Seal
Experiences at Scripps Inst. of Ocean.  Nov 78

·
Soundings
Newsletter – Training Terminology            1978

·
Video
Presentations

o
Instructional
videos from Syn
Alia  1990 – Present

o
Blood
Sampling Pigs, University of Maryland  Mar 90

o
Chickens
on Stage, MCTV
Jan 90

·
Also featured in December 1992  Equus Magazine “The Secret
of X” and in various television and other media articles and interviews.

 

Teacher
of disabled children:

 

·
Non-verbal Communication for Shayna, a CP child with CMV,
1994.

·
Teaching
pre-verbal children to make non-verbal choices and understand their medical
care, Centreville, VA 1993-4. 

·
Teacher, Amigo School for Autistic
Children, Quincy, Massachusetts, 1977.

·
Volunteer
Teacher, Pacific State Mental Hospital, Diamond Bar, California, 1974.

·
Volunteer
Tutor with
dyslexic and retarded children, 1969-1973.

 

IT,
desktop publishing, curriculum, and teaching certification:

 

·
Created Web Site (http://www.synalia.com ), WebQuest, Data
libraries,

·
Hosted
numerous international, professional discussion communities.  See

o
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bridgeandtarget2

o
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bntq2

o
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2pcem
(Protected Contact Elephant Management)

·
Produced several videos. 

·
Published
a book and numerous articles, over the Internet.

·
Established
curricula for developing staff at animal facilities:  Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, LA, 1996, Good Day Ranch, Austin, TX, 1991;  Marine Mammal and Bear Keepers
and Volunteers,  National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, DC, 1979-1985

 

Completed
Student Teaching May, 2002.  Eligible for teacher licensure, July 2002