Our people

Alumna, Paralympic swimmer and medal winner Stephanie Dixon, whose inspiring attitude has taken her to the height of her sport.
Alumna, Paralympic swimmer and medal winner Stephanie Dixon, whose inspiring attitude has taken her to the height of her sport.

Department of Psychology

The Psychology Department is home to a happy and successful close-knit community of academic faculty members, instructors, staff, and students. Many of our recent graduates have gone on to post-doctoral positions, academic appointments, or clinical positions; we are very proud of their accomplishments.

The city of Victoria and the UVic campus support comfortable, active living for our people. We appreciate the refreshing energy that new people and ideas bring to our community and welcome you to explore opportunities available to study and learn with us.

Selected recent accomplishments by faculty members

Catherine Costigan

  • UVic Teaching Awards (Office of VP Academic & Provost): Cathy Costigan: 2016 Excellence in Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Award
  • Faculty of Social Sciences Excellence Awards: Cathy Costigan: 2016 Teaching Excellence Award
  • Member of the Executive Council of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP)

Robert Gifford

  • Lindsay McCunn began an Assistant Professorship at the University of Washington Tacoma in September, 2015 and defended her dissertation in October, 2015
  • New publications:
    • Gifford, R. (2014). Environmental psychology: Principles and practice (5th edition). Colville, WA: Optimal Books  (comes out August 14)
    • Gifford, R. (2014). Environmental psychology matters. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 541-580.  (The highest impact factor journal in psychology)
  • Leila Scannell, graduated in June, began a post-doc at UBC
  • Editor, Journal of Environmental Psychology (recently re-appointed, although been appointed before)
  • Numerous interviews, including Globe and Mail and others, if any matter.

Bonnie Leadbeater

  • New publications:
    • Leadbeater, B. J. (2014). Growing up fast: Re-visioning adolescent mothers' transitions to young adulthood. New York, NY, US: Psychology Press.
    • Leadbeater, B. J., & Homel, J. (2014). Irritable and defiant sub-dimensions of odd: Their stability and prediction of internalizing symptoms and conduct problems from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal Of Abnormal Child Psychology, doi:10.1007/s10802-014-9908-3

Steve Lindsay

  • Publication:
    • co-edited (with Tim Perfect) the Oxford Handbook of Applied Cognitive Psychology, published in 2014.

Jim Tanaka

  • UVic Teaching Awards (Office of VP Academic & Provost): Jim Tanaka: 2016 Excellence in Research-Inspired Teaching
  • Faculty of Social Sciences Excellence Awards: Jim Tanaka: 2016 Outstanding Community Service Award

Tim Stockwell

  • Dr Kara Thompson, former PhD student, has just been appointed as a PDF with Dr Sherry Stewart in the Dept of Psychology Dalhousie where she will continue her addictions research.

Media Interviews:

  • Under reporting alcohol consumption in Addiction
    • Shape magazine – Sept 4
  • Alcohol warning labels – Aug 11
    • BBC Radio Five Live
  • FIFA world cup – alcohol revenues – June 11
    • Globe & Mail
  • How much do Canadians lowball their drinking? June 5
    • CFAX
    • The Canadian Press
    • Globe & Mail
    • The Q 100.3
    • Metro News Victoria
    • Global News
    • The Province
    • Global TV
  • CBC Radio Syndication:
    • THUNDER BAY - Voyage North
    • TORONTO -Here and Now
    • WINNIPEG - Up to Speed
    • OTTAWA - All in a Day
    • VICTORIA - All Points West
    • MONTREAL - Home Run
    • VANCOUVER - On the Coast
    • HALIFAX - Mainstreet
    • WHITEHORSE - Airplay
    • CALGARY - Homestretch
    • KELOWNA - Radio West
    • EDMONTON - Radio Active
  • Minimum Pricing
    • BBC May 20
  • Alcohol Treatment
    • BC Almanac CBC Radio May
  • Gunter: Free alcohol plan is not that crazy
    • QMI Agency, May 1
  • Montreal to let bars serve alcohol until sunrise starting in June
    • Globe & Mail, April 25, 2014
  • Why I’m fighting alcohol industry obstruction of minimum pricing
    • The Conversation, April 3, 2014
  • An invited editorial has been accepted for publication shortly in the British Medical Journal - Manuscript ID BMJ.2014.022172 entitled "Why is there alcohol industry opposition to Minimum Unit Pricing when it guarantees their profits?"