Behavioural Science Advisory Council

Dr. Reginald Bibby holds the Board of Governors Research Chair in Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. He is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading experts on religious and social trends. He is the author of sixteen books, numerous monographs, and more than a hundred journal articles. His most recent books are Canada’s Catholics (2016) – co-authored with Angus Reid, and Resilient Gods, just released by UBC Press. He has appeared on many national and regional radio and television programs, and Maclean’s has given his work cover attention on four occasions. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the nation, the Governor General appointed him an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006. More information can be located on his website, www.reginaldbibby.com.

Dr. Susan D. Boon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary and director of the University’s Lovelab (www.personalrelationships.ca). She received her BA from the University of Alberta (1987) and her MA (1998) and PhD (1992) from the University of Waterloo. A social psychologist by training, she is passionate about the topic of personal relationships and has a particular fascination with their darker sides. Together with her students, she has been investigating a broad range of topics in the field of personal relationships since 1992. Dr. Boon has published 35 journal articles and 3 book chapters and currently serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Derek Cook has a M.Sc. in Planning and is a registered social worker (RSW) with the Alberta College of Social Workers. He has over twenty-five years of experience developing policy and programs and delivering services in the public and non-profit sectors. He has been recognized for his ability to bring diverse interests together to build a shared vision for community prosperity, applying knowledge to practice to create innovative solutions for complex social and policy challenges. Most recently, he served from 2011 to 2015 as Executive Director of the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative (CPRI), Mayor Nenshi’s task force on poverty reduction. Under Cook’s leadership the CPRI spent 18 months in consultation with local communities to develop Calgary’s “Enough for All” poverty reduction strategy. The strategy was unanimously approved by City Council in June of 2013, and the remainder of the project was devoted to implementation and building community capacity. Presently Cook heads up the Canadian Poverty Institute (CPI), which aims to train experts and to identify proven and replicable programs to address the many facets of poverty in Canada. Through his work he strives to build community capacity to strengthen our social fabric and enhance the quality of life for all.

James (Jim) Cresswell completed his Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Psychology in 2010 (University of Alberta).  Jim’s research interests draw on many sources ranging from cultural psychology to cognitive science and literary theory.  In the fall of 2017, his book on the challenge of studying religion comes out under the title ‘Culture and the Cognitive Science of Religion’ (Rutledge Press). He is also part of a large Partnership Development Grant provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: a multiparty effort at describing the role faith-based organizations play in the resettlement of newcomers to Canada.  One area of ongoing research is developing theory about the relationship between mind and culture, which can lead to exciting reconsideration of psychology as an art as much as a science.

Sarah Knopp is an Ambrose alumni, having completed her Behavioural Science degree in 2006, and then completing her Masters of Counselling Psychology Degree from the University of Calgary in 2012. From an early age, Sarah has had a passion for working with marginalized populations, and this passion manifested in volunteer work with Calgary non-profit agencies and faith groups as a teenager and young adult. Her education has allowed her career to revolve around this passion. She spent 5 years working at AHS Renfrew Recovery Centre as an addictions counsellor in adult detox, an environment that was invaluable to her as a new, and perhaps naïve, young person working in the field of addiction and mental health. She has been working at The Alex since 2012 in a leadership capacity, and is currently the associate director of the Housing First Programs there.

Dr. John Mueller received his B.S. in 1964 from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and his Ph.D in Experimental Psychology from St. Louis University in 1968. He taught for 22 years in the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri. In 1990, he moved to the University of Calgary, in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology.  He retired in 2008, and is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, but continues to teach on a part-time basis in on-line and on-campus courses. His research has been in various areas of human learning and social cognition, and his teaching has been in cognitive psychology, history of psychology, educational technology, stress, aging, and research methods. Dr. Mueller is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, and on the Board of Directors of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship. 

Laura Olesen is a 2nd year Behavioural Science Student at Ambrose University. She has a passion for working with children who have disabilities and hopes to enter the field of child development and play therapy. She has an interest in integrating her dance training into her work with children. Laura enjoys spending time with her family, her friends, and her cat.

Dr. John Rook is the founding director of the Canadian Poverty Institute and is currently managing Director (Calgary) & Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Mustard Seed. He is the former President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation and was CEO of the Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary). He was a professor at McMaster Divinity College and is adjunct faculty at the University of Calgary (Social Work). From 2007 to 2011 John chaired the National Council of Welfare and from 2012-2014 was a member of the Alberta Interagency Council on Homelessness. He chaired the Booth University College board in Winnipeg from 2007-2011. He has degrees in Sacred Literature (Canadian Nazarene College), Psychology (Eastern Nazarene University), Divinity (McMaster Divinity College) and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford University. John was honored to receive a Rotary Club Integrity Award, the City of Burlington Service Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He has over 20 peer reviewed publications and a children’s book entitled “Where is My Home?”

Dr. Kelly Dean Schwartz is Associate Professor, School and Applied Child Psychology, at the University of Calgary. A Registered Psychologist (Alberta) practicing in school and private settings for over 20 years, he holds a PhD in Social Psychology and an MSc in School and Community Psychology. His research focuses on how psychosocial factors and developmental assets contribute to healthy child and family development. Dr. Schwartz has held national and international grants for his research, has published articles and chapters in academic and common publications, and has presented symposia and invited lectures at over 40 national and international conferences.

Dr. Alex Sanderson is Associate Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Behavioural Science program at Ambrose University. Sanderson’s interests focus on using narrative perspectives for understanding the development of behavioural and emotional difficulties in street youth. Her research reveals that youth's life histories provide a better understanding of how specific life events can contribute to negative biases in the story lines used to understand the self and others. Identification of these frameworks is believed to be of importance in: a) helping the adolescent process earlier negative events in a way that promotes a redemptive world view, and b) helping the adolescent to modify existing understandings of the self so that they will pursue activities that reinforce the development of more pro-social story-lines.

Dr. Don Swenson has a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A. from the University of Calgary and a B.Th. from the University of Ottawa. Dr. Swenson is currently a tenured faculty member of the Behavioral Sciences Department at Mount Royal College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is also an active member of the National Council of Family Relations, the American Sociological Association, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Association of the Sociology of Religion.

Dr. Joel Thiessen is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University. In addition to publishing several articles, he has written two books: The Sociology of Religion: A Canadian Perspective (co-authored with Lorne L. Dawson) (Oxford University Press, 2014) and The Meaning of Sunday: The Practice of Belief in a Secular Age (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015). His current research activities center on flourishing congregations in Canada, religious nones in North America, and youth in Canada. More information can be located on his website, www.joelthiessen.ca.

Dillon K. Traber is a 5th year student at Ambrose University, currently working towards a degree in Behavioural Science with the intent to pursue a career in the field of education. He is currently involved with the City of Calgary in developing creative play opportunities for children through the Mobile Adventure Playground pilot project. In his free time, Dillon can often be seen playing soccer or running after his Bunny-chasing dog, Bailey.

Dr. John Winterdyk has taught in the Dept. of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University (MRU). In additional to his position at MRU, John holds adjunct positions at: St. Thomas University, the Namibia University of Science and Technology, the University of Regina, and he is a Visiting Professor at KIIT University in India. John is the former and founding Director for the Centre of Criminology and Justice Research (CCJR) at MRU. To-date he has authored/edited some 30 textbooks, and served as Guest Editor for five different peer reviewed journals (themes: genocide, human trafficking, terrorism, human rights, and crime prevention). Current areas of research interest include: transnational crime, corrections, crime prevention, and trafficking in persons.