Robert K. Uyeyama
I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa under professor Louis M. Herman of the Department of Psychology, the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, and The Dolphin Institute.
Robert K. Uyeyama
I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa under professor Louis M. Herman of the Department of Psychology, the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, and The Dolphin Institute.
I have recently completed my dissertation defense in Oct 2007 and will graduate this Dec 2007 with a Ph.D. on the development of a computer automated matching system for the photographs of the flukes of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The dissertation committee consisted of: Louis M. Herman (chairperson), Todd R. Reed (outside member, Department of Electrical Engineering), Adam A. Pack, Joseph R. Mobley, Jr., and Karl A Minke. (Abstract)
My masters work examined spontaneous categorization of objects in a language-trained bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The thesis committee consisted of Louis M. Herman (chairperson), Ann Peters (outside member, Department of Linguistics), and Daniel Blaine.
I am also a professional member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA). My specialization in animal training is the shaping of rules and concepts, a topic I've described in detail (see references below).
Education:
University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu, HI)
Ph.D., Psychology, 12/2007
M.A., Psychology, 12/1999
Department of Psychology, Human & Animal Cognition Concentration
Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
B.A., Biology, 6/1991
National Merit Scholar
Publications, Presentations, Thesis:
Uyeyama, R.K. (2007). Computer-Assisted Matching of Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fluke Contours Using a Wavelet-Based Algorithm. Doctoral dissertation, University of Hawaii at Manoa. (Abstract)
Uyeyama, R.K., Herman, L.M., Pack, A.A., & Padula, D. (2006, November). Spontaneous Comprehension by a Bottlenosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) of Gestural Discriminative Stimuli as Presented by an Artificial Computer-Generated (CG) Figure on a Television Display. Paper presented at the 34th Annual Conference of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. Honolulu, HI.
Uyeyama, R.K. & Ilic, T. (submission) A Comparative Approach to Cognitive Grammar: Domain-General Consequences of Modeling Sequence Comprehension in a Bottlenosed Dolphin. The Second Biennial Conference on Cognitive Sciences, June 9-13, 2006, St. Petersburg.
Uyeyama, R.K., Pack, A.A., & Herman, L.M. (2005). How to develop abstract concepts and understanding of complex relationship in dolphins. Soundings, 30, 4-7. (Feature article for the Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association). (Full text HTML)
Uyeyama, R.K., Herman, L.M., & Pack, A.A. (2003, November). How to develop abstract concepts and understanding of complex relationships in dolphins. Paper presented at the 31th Annual Conference of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. Long Beach, CA.
Uyeyama, R. K. & Herman, L. M. (2001). Automated fluke-contour matching of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) using a wavelet-based algorithm. 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, November 28- December 3, 2001, p. 221.
Herman, L.M. & Uyeyama, R.K. (1999). The dolphin's grammatical competency; Comments on Kako (1999). Animal Learning & Behavior, 27, 18-23. (Abstract) (PDF)
Mercado, E. III, Uyeyama, R.K., Pack, A.A., & Herman, L.M. (1999). Memory for action events in the bottlenosed dolphin. Animal Cognition, 2, 17-25. (Abstract) (PDF)
Uyeyama, R.K. (1999). Category Formation in a Language-Trained Bottlenosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in a Match-to-Sample (MTS) Procedure. Masters thesis, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. (Abstract)
Mercado, E. III, Murray, S.O., Uyeyama, R.K., Pack, A.A., & Herman, L.M. (1998). Memory for recent actions in the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Repetition of Arbitrary Behaviors Using an Abstract Rule. Animal Learning and Behavior, 26, 210-218. (Abstract) (PDF)
Kollias N., Gillies R., Muccini J.A., Uyeyama R.K., Phillips S.B., & Drake L.A. (1995). A single parameter, oxygenated hemoglobin, can be used to quantify experimental
irritant-induced inflammation. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 104(3), 421-424.
Miscellaneous:
Dolphins: Deep Thinkers, BBC Wildlife on One, hosted by David Attenborough. See video clip here.
Contact:
Find me online at:
e-mail/Jabber/Google Talk: uyeyama >AT< gmail.com
AIM/iChat: robuyeyama