uOttawa News

OTTAWA, June 7, 2012  —  The University of Ottawa is proud to announce the appointment of three new University of Ottawa Research Chairs, who will enhance the University’s leadership in areas such as second language learning, legal pluralism and mental health.

 “These three women are leaders in their respective fields in Canada as well as abroad, and they go above and beyond their duty in transferring their passion to the next generation of thinkers. The University community congratulates them wholeheartedly,” said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research.

The three new University Research Chairs are the following:

Pascale Fournier — Faculty of Law — Civil Law Section
University Chair in Legal Pluralism and Comparative Law
A leader in comparative law as well as law and religion, Professor Fournier will explore cultural, religious and legal customs practiced in minority communities and their impact on the legal systems of Western countries. Ultimately, her research could lead to public policies that will ensure the protection of the most vulnerable populations within minority groups: women and children.  

Marie-Josée Hamel — Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)
OLBI University Chair in New Technologies and Computer Assisted Language Learning
Professor Hamel explores interface ergonomics in the context of computer assisted language learning. Particularly, she seeks to define language learners’ use of online resources such as dictionaries and translation aids. She also measures the usability of these resources for vocabulary selection during the language task process. The aim of her research is to find ways to improve the overall quality of the learner-task-tool interaction at the computer.

Diana Koszycki — Faculty of Education
University Health Research Chair
This Chair, newly established in partnership with the Institut de Recherche de l’Hôpital Montfort(IRHM), will study the etiology and treatment of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders. Expanding on her vast expertise as a clinical and experimental psychologist, Professor Koszycki will look at the effectiveness of different psychosocial and mind-body interventions for anxious and depressed patients, and evaluate mechanisms that contribute to therapeutic change.

The University of Ottawa Research Chair Program recognizes and supports the outstanding work of uOttawa professors in strategic research areas as well as in the training of students. 

The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world. The University is an important stakeholder in the National Capital Region’s economic development.