News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 13 , 2003

Psychology professor wins top award

This afternoon, Dr. Victor Catano was presented with the Canadian Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology’s (CSIOP) award for Distinguished Contributions to Industrial/Organizational Psychology in Canada at the annual conference of the Canadian Psychological Association oin Hamilton, Ontario.

Dr. Catano, Chair of the University’s Psychology Department, is only the third recipient of this prestigious award.

The CSIOP Distinguished Scientist Award is presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution throughout their career to the field of I/O Psychology in Canada. Dr. Catano was recognized for his teaching, research, and work with organizations.

During his 31-year career at Saint Mary’s University, Dr. Catano has supervised approximately 40 masters’ students and innumerable undergraduate students. Many of these students have continued with their studies to get their masters’ and Ph.D. degrees. In the early 1980’s, Dr. Catano was involved in the creation of the Master of Science Program for Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Saint Mary’s University. This program is one of the few of its kind across Canada, and it has an excellent reputation among the I/O community in Canada. To his credit, Dr. Catano has been able to sustain and increase the growth of this program.

Dr. Catano conducts research in personnel selection, labour relations and unions, organizational and environmental constraints on productivity, and the impact of psychological environments on the health, safety, and productivity of workers. He has published over 150 scholarly articles, conference papers, and technical reports. He is the first author of Recruitment and Selection in Canada, one of the leading texts in the field of human resource management.

Dr. Catano has extensive consulting experience in personnel selection and assessment, job analysis, utility analysis, occupational families, attitude surveys, leadership, productivity issues, statistical analyses and research methodology, and industrial relations. His clients have included the Department of National Defense, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Asea Brown Bovari, Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, Manufacturing Research Corporation of Ontario, among others. As part of his work with the RCMP, Dr. Catano developed a performance appraisal system that is used as part of their non-commissioned officer promotion system. He is also currently advising the RCMP with respect to the development and implementation of a competency-based management framework.

He has acted as the President of the Canadian Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. He served two four-year terms as the Editor of Canadian Psychology, the flagship journal of the Canadian Psychological Association. He is a member of the Editorial Board for Advances in Organizational Behavior and has acted as a reviewer for numerous scholarly journals and granting agencies. In recognition of his contributions to the science and practice of psychology in Canada, Dr. Catano is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, and he is an Honorary Member by Canadian Forces Personnel Selection Officers Association. He is the 2003 recipient of CPA’s award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology.

Saint Mary's University is known for its community outreach projects, both in Canada and around the world. Saint Mary's, founded in 1802, is home to one of Canada's leading business schools, a Science Faculty widely known for its cutting-edge research, a comprehensive and innovative Arts Faculty and a new Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

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For More Information:

Paul Fitzgerald
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: paul.fitzgerald@smu.ca
www.smu.ca