THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2001

TRENT PROFESSOR RECEIVES CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR

Good News: Professor James D. A. Parker’s research on emotion and health receives over  $500,000 in federal funding 

Parents who’ve wondered about how emotional and mental and physical health are linked among children and adolescents will benefit from innovative research being conducted at Trent University by Professor James Parker.

The Canada Research Chair award supporting Professor Parker’s research into ‘Emotion and Health’ was announced today by Minister Brian Tobin at McMaster University as part of a joint Canada Research Chairs/Canada Foundation for Innovation announcement (CRC/CFI). Parker has been a Professor in Trent’s Psychology Department since 1994.

Parker’s research consists of several studies that extend current knowledge about emotional intelligence and mental and physical health.  Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to accurately express and regulate emotions. 

One of the studies examines the development of emotional intelligence in children and adolescents, as well as the relationship between emotional intelligence and the development of various psychological problems (like depression). 

A second study uses the transition from high school to university as the background for examining the relationship between various emotional and social variables and academic achievement and retention in Trent University students. This multi-year study is one of the most ambitious projects on studying academic success in university ever conducted in Canada. 

“Universities are pivotal to Canada’s new knowledge-driven economy because of their role in advancing the frontiers of knowledge and understanding,” stated Minister Tobin.  “By investing in our researchers through initiatives such as the Canada Research Chairs Program, the government of Canada is promoting leading-edge research and innovation, providing exciting opportunities for Canadian researchers, and attracting the best research minds in the world to Canadian universities.”

Commenting on the award, Professor Graham Taylor, Vice President Academic, commended Professor Parker for his valuable and innovative research. "I am pleased that Professor Parker's accomplishments are recognized through his appointment as a Canada Research Chair. His current research will be beneficial to Trent University as well as the broader community. His exemplary work reflects again on the significant research achievements of faculty at Trent, an attribute that was highlighted in the recent Maclean's rankings."

The primary objective of the CRC Program is to enable Canadian universities, together with their affiliated research institutes and hospitals, to achieve the highest levels of research excellence and to become world-class research centres in the global, knowledge-based economy. 

The CFI is an independent, not-for-profit organization established by the Government of Canada in 1997 to address an urgent need of Canada's research community: new state-of-the-art research infrastructure.  The CFI has a mandate to help provide infrastructure support to Canada Research Chairs. In addition to the funded Chair, Professor Parker has also received a CFI award of $36,797 to help cover the costs of his research.

For more information contact:

Professor James D. A. Parker, Trent University, Psychology Department, (705) 748-1011, ext. 1283