Meet the Instructor

James Ha

James Ha’s academic and practical training is in the social behavior of birds and mammals, with a special focus on highly social species. He has 30 years of experience in animal behavior teaching, research, consulting and expert witness services.

Ha is an emeritus research professor in the UW animal behavior program, where he continues to teach and conduct research in complex social behavior and cognition of several animal species. During his own graduate training, Ha interned with Dr. Philip Lehner (Colorado State University) and was active in Lehner’s early behavior consulting business. Ha started his own consulting business in companion animal behavior in 1999 and now practices through Adaptive Animals. He also acts as a consultant to pet food companies, shelter organizations and the Center for Animal Welfare Science at Purdue University.

Ha has a Ph.D. in zoology, with a specialization in animal behavior from Colorado State University and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. He also served as a member of the Animal Behavior Society’s executive committee for many years.