What brought you to 杏吧原创鈥檚 Psychology program? 

I鈥檝e always known I wanted to work with children, and my interest in mental health and psychology research really grew after taking a high school course on the subject. When I discovered 杏吧原创鈥檚 Psychology program, I was especially drawn to the Honours program because it offered the opportunities to specialize in developmental psychology and mental health and well-being along with the chance to complete an honours thesis or research project. It felt like the perfect fit for my interests and goals. 

What topic did you choose for your honours thesis? Can you tell us about that research, how you collected your data, and what interested you in this topic? 

Yes! My honours thesis explored how parent-child relationships and parental self-efficacy in supporting learning influenced the learning behaviours of children with and without ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was fortunate to have Dr. Maria Rogers as my supervisor, who had collaborated with several other labs across Canada on a longitudinal study examining parent and child experiences throughout the pandemic. Data was collected for this study at four different time points, and I chose to analyze data from Spring 2021鈥攐ne year into the pandemic. My research interests primarily center around how parental and school factors shape children鈥檚 behaviours and well-being. Since the pandemic led to a sudden shift to remote learning, I was particularly interested in understanding how parents鈥� involvement and relationships with their children may have influenced their motivations and efforts to learn in such a unique and challenging environment. 

What are some things you鈥檝e learned through your (or your colleagues鈥�) research on ADHD that we might find surprising? 

One surprising finding from my honours thesis research was that the quality of parent-child relationships predicted learning behaviours for children without ADHD but not for those with ADHD. This suggests that, for children with ADHD, other factors might play a bigger role in shaping their motivations and efforts to learn, highlighting how different factors may interact in ways we might not expect in research. I鈥檝e also come across some insightful findings through my colleagues鈥� research, including Dr. Rogers鈥� recent work on school attendance and chronic absenteeism in children and teens. While many assume school attendance is a well-researched topic, her work reveals that it鈥檚 actually quite understudied in Canada, especially when looking at children with mental health challenges. Given how critical school attendance is for children’s academic and social development, this gap in research is something that needs more attention. 

How did you get involved in Dr. Maria Rogers鈥� lab? Was this your first experience with a research lab?

I first got involved with Dr. Rogers鈥� lab as an honours student in the fourth year of my undergraduate studies, which was my first time working in a research lab. After graduating in Spring 2024, I took on the role of laboratory manager at Rogers Child Mental Health Lab. In this role, I help coordinate lab meetings and events to foster collaboration among team members while also supporting Dr. Rogers鈥� research through data collection, analysis, and knowledge mobilization. One of the things I love most about working in the lab is contributing to research that directly supports Canadian students and families. For example, we鈥檝e studied family experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we鈥檙e currently working on projects related to school attendance and chronic absenteeism. It鈥檚 been such a rewarding experience to be part of a team dedicated to understanding and improving mental health and educational outcomes for children. 

What are your hopes for the future (near and/or far)? 

In the near future, I hope to pursue my Master鈥檚 in Psychology, followed by a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. My long-term goal is to continue researching parent-child relationships and how they shape children鈥檚 social, emotional, and academic outcomes, examining these dynamics from both child and parent perspectives. Ultimately, I want my work to contribute to meaningful resources and interventions that support child development, resilience, and strong family relationships. I鈥檓 especially passionate about ensuring that research translates into real-world support for families and children. 

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By: Emily Putnam

杏吧原创 University’s Dunton Tower was abuzz on Feb. 1 as students, faculty, and staff convened to kick off Black History Month 2024. The first campus event of the month was a talk by Dr. Michele K. Lewis, the current 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Chair, hosted by 杏吧原创’s Feminist Institute of Social Transformation. Lewis’ lecture, titled Reuniting Black LGBTQ+ People and African-Centered Thought, captivated the audience with its insight and expertise.

Co-organized by the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities and Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Lewis revisited her and her colleagues’ historic *mbongi presented at the 53rd International Association of Black Psychologists Conference in 2022, and her talk was followed by a discussion facilitated by journalist and Professor Adrian Harewood.

Throughout the event, Lewis underscored the significance of recognizing the cultural and historical presence of Black LGBTQ+ individuals within the African human family and the (ABPsi). She also elaborated on how she and her colleagues seamlessly incorporated Black wisdom into their roles as clinicians, academics, researchers, and artists.

“I spent a lot of time reading from the wisdom of ancestors, and I love spending time with my elders; I like spending time in nature, and these are all things that can contribute to healing.”

Examples included their work incorporating contemplative practices to decolonize inner life, challenging Eurocentric thought, and disrupting dynamics of oppression.

Lewis stated, “In the Afrocentric worldview, we believe this knowledge system survives across time and space, but you must still study, and you cannot be afraid to be exposed to things that might seem quite foreign to you. You have to be prepared that if you’re going to do this type of work, you’re not going to be considered a mainstream psychologist.”

As a , Lewis is working on her research project,听Black 鈥淟GBTQ+鈥� Psychology: Understanding collective self-determination, Afrocentrism and optimal identity.

The project will bring together 20 participants for virtual emotional emancipation circles 鈥� safe spaces for people of African descent to connect, discuss their experiences and work towards wellness and authentic expression, defying lies about who they are.

“It’s a safe space for you to have a semi-structured experience where you can talk about and unpack some things that have happened that you may never have discussed regarding race and racism,” said Lewis. “I want to do the circles with this group not to separate people, but just so that we can have targeted experiences to speak to people’s various human experiences.”

Lewis continued, 鈥淭o just set up a gay-straight alliance or LGTBQIA+ student centre on campus is often not enough because there鈥檚 a different cultural need. We have to help them connect.鈥�

Lewis, who regards herself as an advocate for rather than a pioneer of the circles, says it鈥檚 important to reflect on and acknowledge different aspects of one鈥檚 lived experience.

“There’s strength in numbers, and the more you embrace that communal self-knowledge, the more you can find the key to mental health. The unity and connection help, so the degree to which we can help students learn how to connect is a start.”

Members of the 杏吧原创 community are welcome to join Lewis at her next talk for the 鈥檚 annual Florence Bird Lecture on March 5, where she will discuss her Fulbright work as intersecting Black Psychology, Culture Neuroscience, and what has been theorized by Dr. Sekhmet Maat (McAllister) as a Kemetic model of the cosmological interactive self.

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Lightning Interviews with Our Community

Name: Anne Bowker
Academic Title: Interim Dean
Email: anne.bowker@carleton.ca
FASS Affiliation(s): Department of Psychology
Owner of Milo, a 杏吧原创 Therapy Dog

How would you explain your research to someone with no experience in your field?

I am a developmental psychologist interested in developmental transitions. I’m interested in university transitions (i.e., the transition to 1st year university) and what factors might affect how smooth the transition is. I’m also interested in mid-life transitions and changes that occur between 40 and 65, particularly the menopausal transition.

What first sparked your interest in your discipline and research?

I took a Developmental Psychology course in my second year of university which involved doing some behavioral observations in a daycare and looking at young children’s pretend or make-believe play. I was hooked.

What’s one fact about your research area that most people are surprised to learn?

My current work is on menopause, and most people know very little about the menopausal transition, even middle aged women, because we don’t feel comfortable talking about these issues in public, or even with our doctors.

What’s the biggest misconception about your research area?

I think many people think that development stops once you hit adulthood, but we continue to develop and change throughout our lifespan.

Read Dr. Bowker’s message to all new and returning students of the 2023/2024 school year!

Do you have a favourite class to teach?

I have taught several first year seminars – one on emerging adulthood and aging, the other one on the psychology of success, a course that I teach with Matt Sorley, an instructor in Psychology. I love teaching with Matt!

Is there a reading or course from your time as a university student that significantly changed the way you think about the world?

by Virginia Axline. It was a book about the use of play therapy for a troubled child. It made me want to become a psychologist, and I did work as a psychometrist for awhile and even did some play therapy. But I was also hooked by the academic life of research and teaching.

What media and/or popular culture content have you recently enjoyed?

I read all the time. Some of my favourite books this year are The Fraud by Zadie Smith; Do you remember being born? by Sean Michaels; Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, and I’m halfway through Outlive by Peter Attia, which is a non-fiction book on how to live longer and healthier.

What’s your favourite spot on campus?

I love sitting by the Rideau Canal (although I guess that isn’t really on campus); I like going to Bridgehead, so I guess the lobby of the Nicol Building is another favourite spot.

Do you have any current or upcoming academic projects that you’re excited about?

My co-authors and I are working on a book about menopause, based on 60 interviews that we did with menopausal women. And my co-authors include two anthropology students (one of whom is my daughter Emma, who is working on her PhD) and my good friend Janet Mantler in Psychology. I love working with all of them, it’s a really collaborative project.

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By Emily Putnam

杏吧原创 is thrilled to welcome 2023-2024 Fulbright Distinguished Chair Dr. Michele Lewis, hosted by the Feminist Institute of Social Transformation (FIST). Hailing from Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, USA, Lewis brings a wealth of expertise as a dynamic professor and psychologist.

For her time at 杏吧原创, Lewis is motivated to continue her barrier-breaking work that elevates and centres non-western frameworks in psychology, delving into cross-cultural experiences, and exploring the realm of cultural neuroscience among marginalized communities.

Lewis鈥� work extends beyond writing for only academic audiences, contributing to the monthly blog “鈥� for Psychology Today.

In her role as a Fulbright Scholar, Lewis is set to embark on the second phase of an impactful initiative known as ‘Emotional Emancipation Circles.’ After recognizing a significant gap in research and inclusion for those with intersecting identities, she committed herself to casting light on this neglected area of study by bringing 10 Canadians and 10 Americans together virtually. The group will meet once a week for eight weeks in total, using a curriculum co-developed by the and .

The Circles are not therapy, but rather safe spaces for people of African descent who also identify as 2SLGBTQ+ to connect, discuss their experiences, and work towards wellness and authentic expression. 鈥淚 want them to be as broadly inclusive of people of African descent as possible,鈥� says Lewis, 鈥渁nd I don鈥檛 think that there鈥檚 been any targeted work applying them with people who might be identified as of the Black queer intersecting identity.鈥�

With a strong belief in the practical application of academic research to improve the lives of everyday people, Lewis is resolute in her goal to produce work that offers tangible and relatable resources. She aims to use research and insight gained from the Circles to create an extension of her previous co-authored book published in 2012, titled 鈥�.鈥�

Lewis鈥� fervor for psychology is rooted in her ever-present curiosity to understand the nuances and intricacies of the motivation of humans, coupled with an equally passionate intrigue by the workings of human cognition.

Since arriving at 杏吧原创, Lewis has taken note of the university’s rich academic environment.

鈥淚t seems like almost every day there鈥檚 some kind of public lecture. It鈥檚 so easy to remain intellectually stimulated at 杏吧原创.鈥�

Pointing to the pivotal interdisciplinary aspect of her own work, Lewis is quick to underscore the importance of maintaining an open-minded approach to current and aspiring psychology students.

Having arrived in Ottawa in August of this year, Lewis found herself in a city she had not visited before. However, her two-decade-long experience of living in Washington, D.C. is proving instrumental in providing her with a contextual understanding of residing in a national capital. “I kind of had some idea of what to expect with respect to a lot of government workers and tourism, and a wide variety of types of people from different nationalities who have come here for various reasons,鈥� explains Lewis.

One aspect of Canadian life where Lewis acknowledges her lack of experience is the winter climate. 鈥淓very person I鈥檝e met who is Canadian, I鈥檝e asked them, what will I need to do? When is it going to happen?鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for it to come, and [so far] the weather has been perfect, but everyone says to just wait for December.鈥�

In her free time, Lewis has been watching the ABC series 鈥樷�� to enjoy weekly bonding time with her sister; she is also an avid decorator of whichever space she is occupying at the time. This is evidenced by her office in Dunton Tower, which is already looking vibrant, boasting an array of plants, and a unique chair that is a conversation piece in the office.

Lewis says she looks forward to a future where her work can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of human beings that is also culturally broader, noting, 鈥淚t鈥檚 past time for interest in the human spirit to be reintegrated with psychology. I think it was Toni Morrison that said: ‘sometimes if a book doesn’t exist that you want to read, you have to write it.鈥� That鈥檚, in part, what motivated my current Fulbright project.鈥�

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Chancellor’s Professor Robert Coplan‘s (Department of Psychology) research has been gaining media attention recently. In addition to his talk for MeWeRTH, The Power and Paradox of Solitude: Making the Case for the Benefits of Being Alone, he has been featured on several radio shows and the podcast At Your Best.

Listen below:

• : Why solitude can be good for you, and what makes it different from loneliness. Spending time alone can have benefits for both mental and physical health. That beneficial solitude differs from outright loneliness, which has taken on added weight in post-pandemic lockdowns. Robert Coplan, a professor of psychology at 杏吧原创 University in Ottawa, joins Patricia Boal to talk through what those benefits can look like and how to differentiate between solitude and loneliness.

• Loneliness is harmful to your health, but solitude is beneficial. In a world that’s constantly connected virtually, the notion of solitude seems elusive, even daunting, and being alone is often thought of in a negative context. But solitude is not the same as loneliness – and when people choose to spend time by themselves, it can actually be beneficial, according to Robert Coplan, a professor of psychology at 杏吧原创 University in Ottawa.
  
  
• , Find out the benefits of spending time by yourself with 杏吧原创 University professor of psychology Robert Coplan.

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The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to share that three of our faculty members have been named winners in the most recent round of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Engage Grant results.

Congratulations to Professors Craig Bennell (Psychology), Kester Dyer (Film Studies), and Marina Milyavskaya (Psychology) on each receiving a $25,000 grant to support their important work.

offer researchers 鈥渟hort-term and timely support for partnered research activities that will inform decision making at a single partner organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector.鈥�

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