Meet the Board Members

We are honored to present our three new Board members. 

Peter Fairweather, PhD.

Following faculty appointments at Northwestern University and the University of Texas, Peter became Chief Scientist at WICAT Systems where he developed software enabling subject matter experts unschooled in technology to create computer-based materials for teaching.  After 16 years at WICAT, Peter became Research Staff Member and Senior Manager of a new learning technologies department at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY.  Peter spent much of his time at Watson trying to adapt speech recognition to teach children to read. 

Joyce Friedman, MSW

Joyce has extensive experience as a multifaceted advocate for animals. A former clinical social worker, Joyce entered the animal rights field as Northeast Campaigns Coordinator and then Northeast Director for In Defense of Animals where she worked on various animal protection campaigns. She then became Program Manager of the surrender prevention program Pet Help Partners at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), helping to keep thousands of animals in their homes and out of shelters. When she transitioned to NYC Coordinator at The HSUS, she worked on passing local animal rights legislation, most notably as a leader in the successful campaign to ban wild animals in circuses in NYC in 2017. Joyce also served as a Volunteer Manager at Best Friends Animal Society in NYC. Currently Joyce manages the Community Pets Program at Animal Care Centers of NYC where she leads a team in providing free resources and support to pet owners in under served communities. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Voters For Animal Rights. Joyce has been loyal to and supportive of farmed animal sanctuaries for many years and has experience in both volunteering directly with animals and fundraising efforts. Joyce has rescued dozens of dogs and cats over the years and she currently lives with 4 rescued cats named Patrick, Lucy, Pickles, and Henshaw.

Harold Hovel, PhD

Harold Hovel, PhD. is a retired research scientist with research focused mainly on solar energy physics and technology. He has been involved in humane and animal welfare projects for 45 years, with presentations at elementary and high schools, universities, community, church, and humane groups, and science teacher conferences. He has written 4 books: on the connection between animal cruelty and human violence, on how helping animals benefits people, a fiction work on animals fighting pirates, and a textbook on solar energy. He is a co-founder and past President of the New York State Coalition for Animals, the Animal Welfare Alliance, and the Putnam Valley Conservation Council, and has served in local government on Planning and Conservation Boards. He has also served on the Boards of the Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund and the Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs. He is a former Chairman of the Physics Panel of the National Research Council, Associateship Programs, and is a National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences. He has delivered presentations on solar energy technology world-wide, as well as hundreds of humane education presentations in schools and colleges and presentations to state and local law enforcement about the link between animal cruelty and human violence. He is presently Chairman of the Board of the New York State Humane Association.