UPEI President and Psychology Chair recognized by psychological association
The Psychological Association of Prince Edward Island (PAPEI) presented two prestigious awards to University of Prince Edward Island recipients in conjunction with its annual meeting on November 28.
PAPEI president, Dr. Magda Pietruch presented the Elizabeth Fox Percival Professional Award to Dr. Jason Doiron, chair of the Department of Psychology, and presented the Psychological Association of PEI Humanitarian Award to the University of Prince Edward Island, with thanks and deep appreciation to Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President and Vice-Chancellor.
The citation for the Elizabeth Fox Percival award was read by Dr. Philip Smith who noted that his colleague Dr. Doiron, a UPEI Psychology alumnus, has exhibited tremendous leadership and innovation in the development of the new Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program. Dr. Doiron’s research interests include the exploration of a variety of topics in clinical psychology using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Recent work has examined the etiology, treatment, and prevention of pathological gambling, and he anticipates that a portion his research program will remain focused on pathological gambling and other addictive behaviours.
Dr. Doiron has served on the Prince Edward Island Psychologists Registration Board for the last six years, serving as chair for several. He sits on the Criminal Code Review Board, and is a past school board trustee.
The citation for the PAPEI Humanitarian Award, conferred upon outstanding individuals or organizations whose commitment and persistent endeavours have significantly enhanced the psychological health and well-being of persons in the province, was read by Dr. Nadine DeWolfe, PAPEI Past-President.
Dr. DeWolfe said, “The University of Prince Edward Island, with the strong and personal leadership of President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, has decided to address these needs and in a significant way. The province’s first graduate program in psychology, a clinical Doctor of Psychology degree, will welcome its first cohort of students in September 2019. At a time of many competing demands, President Abd-El-Aziz determined that this was the key opportunity to make significant human and capital investments for the benefit of the university community, the broader Island community, the country, and beyond. He has been deeply engaged in the planning process, challenging the department to always look for the best ways to make the biggest difference: “Don’t you worry about the money—leave that to me; you just make the best program.”
Extremely moved to receive the award on behalf of UPEI, President Abd-El-Aziz thanked his colleagues and the members of the PAPEI for their early support during the development phases of the PsyD program.
“I am extremely proud of everyone in this room. All of us are affected by mental health issues and after consulting with students, colleagues, staff, and experts from around the world, I realized that everyone shares in my belief that the creation of this program was the right thing to do,” said President Abd-El-Aziz. “This program is not just about education but is about creating a great community of clinical psychologists that will have impact on PEI, in Canada, and globally. Our PsyD candidates from their first day will be doctoral interns who, as part of the clinical team and immersed in our experiential learning model, will immediately contribute to creating a clinical environment that is second to none.”
