Deirdre Yeater, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Sacred Heart University. Dr. Yeater joined Sacred Heart University in the Fall of 2008. She enjoys teaching and incorporates her research and training experiences with marine mammals in her classes. Dr. Yeater encourages students to meet with her if interested in becoming involved in marine mammal cognition and behavior research.

Teaching Responsibilities: Human and Animal Learning, The Human Journey: The Individual and Society.

Research Interests: Marine mammal behavior and cognition. Specific studies have been in the areas of: dolphin imitation and social learning, the behavior of rough-toothed dolphins, social association patterns, tactile behavior and communication, the effects of vessel traffic and swimmers on dolphin behavior, the effects of noise on marine mammals, and environmental enrichment with captive animals. Other topics of interest include the study of self-awareness and theory of mind in animals.