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Curriculum vitae (until 1999)

Name:

Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA

Nationality:

Latvian

Birth date :

December 1st, 1937

Birthplace:

Riga, Latvia

Family status:

Married to Imants F. Freibergs (1960), two children:
Kārlis, born in 1963, Indra, born in 1967

Current position:

President of the Republic of Latvia
elected on 17 June 1999 for 4 years, re-elected in 2003

 

 

UNIVERSITY STUDIES

 

1965

Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Experimental Psychology, McGill University , Montreal, Canada

1960

Master of Psychology ( M.A.), University of Toronto

1958

Bachelor of Arts( B.A.), Victoria College, University of Toronto

 

 

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

 

 

1954-1955

Evening and correspondence courses, Grade 13, Ontario Ministry of Education, Toronto

1950-1954

College for girls Mers-Sultan, Casablanca, Morocco

1949-1950

French primary school, Daourat hydroelectric dam village, Morocco

1945-1949

Latvian primary school, refugee camps, Herrenwiek and Lübeck, Germany

 

LANGUAGES

 

Spoken and written

English, French, Latvian, Spanish, German

Passive and partial knowledge

Portuguese, Italian

 

 

EMPLOYMENT RECORD

 

1998-1999

Director, The Latvian Institute, Riga, Latvia

Elected in 1998

Professor emerita, Université de Montréal

1979-1998

Full professor, Université de Montréal

1984-1989

Vice-chairman, Science Council of Canada (part-time)

1972-1979

Associate professor, Université de Montréal

1965-1972

Assistant professor, Université de Montréal

1964-1965

Sessional lecturer, McGill University, Montreal

1964-1965

Sessional lecturer, Sir George Williams University, Montreal

1960-1961

Clinical psychologist, Toronto Psychiatric Hospital (full time)

1959-1960

Spanish teacher, grades 12 and 13, Ontario Ladies' College, Whitby, Ontario

1958

Spanish translator, Confederation Life Insurance, Toronto

1957-1960

Supervisor, Boarding school, Branksome Hall School for Girls, Toronto (part time)

1954-1955

Canadian Bank of Commerce, teller (full time)

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

• Grand Medal of the Academy of Sciences of Latvia for distinguished work on the Latvian dainas, 1997

• Pierre Chauveau Medal for distinguished work in the humanities, Royal Society of Canada, 1995

• Officer of the Order of the Three Stars, Republic of Latvia, 1995.

• Killam Research Fellowship (Canada Council), 1993-1995

• Marcel-Vincent prize for distinguished achievement in the Social sciences, ACFAS (Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences), 1992

• Dr. habil. philol., Academy of Sciences of Latvia, 1992

• Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.), Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, 1991

• Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, Académie I, elected in 1990

• Foreign Member, Academy of Sciences of Latvia, elected in 1990

• Prize in the Social Sciences of the World Association of Free Latvians (PBLA, Washington, D.C.) for distinguished work on the Latvian dainas, 1989

• Honorary Member, World Association of Latvian Scientists, Riga, Latvia (since its foundation in 1988)

• Member of Baltiska Institutet, University of Stockholm, Sweden (since 1980)

• Fellow, Canadian Psychological Association, 1979

• Prof. Anna Abele memorial prize for distinguished work in Latvian philology (USA), jointly with Imants Freibergs, l979

• Leave Fellowship, Canada Council, 1974

 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE (until 1999)

 

Royal Society of Canada (RSC)

1998-1999

President, Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines

1996-1998

Vice-president, Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines

1991-1996

President, Symposia Committee

1991-1996

Member of Council of RSC

1992-1996

Member, Committee on Freedom in scholarship and science

1994-1999

Member of Council, Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines

1994-1999

Member, Finance Committee of RSC

1994-1997

Member, Finance Committee of the Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines

1995-1999

Member, Membership Selection Committee, Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines

1996-1998

RSC representative for the Université de Montréal

1995-1996

Member, Joint committee of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Panel on Nuclear Waste Management by Atomic Energy Canada

1990-1991

Member, Joint committee of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering for preparing a report to the Federal Environmental Assessment Panel scoping meetings for the review of nuclear waste management and disposal concept.

The Canada Council

1995-1998

Member of the Selection Committee for the Killam Research Fellowships, the Killam Prizes and the John Dieffenbaker Prizes

1997-1998

President of the Selection sub-Committee for the Killam Research Fellowships in Social Sciences

Science Council of Canada

1984-1989

Vice-Chairman, appointed by the Governor General of Canada

1980-1989

Member of Council

1982-1989

Member, Executive committee

1984-1989

Member, Management committee

1984-1989

Chair, Planning and priorities committee

1983-1985

Chair, Committee on the impact of technology on the environment

1986-1989

Chair, Ad hoc committee on the disposition of the bequest of Mme de Hueck

1984-1985

Chair, Ad hoc committee on the Social sciences

1982-1984

Member, Committee on the impact of science on society

1984-1989

Ex-officio member of all study committees of the Science Council

Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS)

1984-1986

President

1982-1988

Member, Board of Directors

1984-1986

President, Committee on International relations

1985-1986

President, Founding committee for establishing the A. Vītols prize for the best publication in Baltic Studies

1986-1988

President, Nominations committee

1986

Founding Member, Baltic Studies Fund

NATO Scientific Program, Special Panel on Human Factors (Brussels)

1979-1980

Chairperson

1978-1981

Canadian Member

Canadian Psychological Association

1980-1981

President

1976-1982

Member, Board of Directors

1979-1982

Member, Executive committee

1981-1982

President, Nominations Committee

1980-1981

President, Committee on International relations

1980-1981

President, Committee on Fellows and Honorary Presidents

1979-1980

President, Membership committee

1979-1981

Resource person in charge of improving the level of bilingualism in the Association

1976-1981

Member, various committees, including:

- Selection committee for the first full time executive director of the Association

- Committee on the future on the journal "Canadian Psychologist"

1987-1991

Member, Scientific affairs committee

Social Science Federation of Canada

1980-1981

President

1977-1982

Representative of the Canadian Psychological Association

1977-1982

Member, Board of Directors

1977-1982

Member, Executive committee

1978-1979

Treasurer

1978-1979

Chair, Finance committee

1981-1982

Chair, Nominations committee

1977-1980

Member, Nominations committee

1977-1982

Member, Finance committee

1977-1982

Member, Sub-committee on publications

1977-1982

Member, various other committees

Canadian Federation for the Humanities

1980-1982

Member, Executive committee

1980-1982

Member, Board of Directors

1980-1982

Member, Finance committee

1980-1982

Member, Sub-committee on publications

Ministry of Health and Welfare Canada

1983-1986

Member, Consultative committee on Mental Health Research

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

1975-1978

Member, Selection committee for Post-doctoral fellowships

Committees, Université de Montréal

1991-1994

• Member, Committee for the distribution of Internal Research Funds (CAFIR)

1993

• Member, Selection Committee of Ph. D. theses to be submitted for the prize ‘‘Académie des grands Montréalais’’

1990-1991

• Member, Committee for the distribution of Internal Travel Funds

• University Research committee:

1985-1988

- Member

1986-1988

- Member, Executive committee of the Research committee

1987-1988

- Chair, Sub-committee on the establishment, evaluation, and dismantling of Research Centres at the University of Montreal

1986-1987

- Member, Ad hoc Committee for the evaluation of four Research Centres at the University of Montreal

• Department of Psychology committees

1987

Member, Selection committee for the director of the Department of Psychology

1965-1998

Member or chair, various departmental committees:

- Committee for the revision of undergraduate programs,

- Coordination committee of the laboratories,

- Committee for the standardisation of undergraduate evaluations,

- Committee for the standardisation of graduate level research project evaluations

- Committee of scholarships,

- Committee of doctorate level bursaries,

- Committee for the study of promotion criteria,

- Committee of admissions to graduate studies,

- Committee of pedagogical methods, etc.

Advisory appointments

1993-1994

Special advisor on cultural affairs to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Mr. V. Birkavs

1993

Policy advisor to the Latvian Cultural Foundation, Riga, Latvia

1992

Member of the Chancellor’s Council of Victoria University , Toronto

1991

Member of Council of the Centre for Folklore and Popular Ethnography, Riga, Latvia

1989

Invited Consultant by the Commission of constitutional reform of the Brazilian Parliament

 

 

 

SYMPOSIA AND CONFERENCE ORGANISATION

 

 

President, organising committee:


• National Conference on Research in the Social Sciences in Canada, October 3-5 ,1984
• National Conference on Toxicology in Canada, Ottawa, March 27, 1985
• National Conference on Epidemiology in Canada, Ottawa, October 30, 1985
• International Symposium in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of K. Barons, Université de Montréal, June 13, 1984.

 

Member, organising committee:


• National Consultation on Science and technology, Ministry for Science and technology Canada; also workshop chairperson. Winnipeg, Man. June 8-10, 1986.
• National Conference: "Biotechnological advances in diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders". Health and Welfare Canada. Toronto, February 5-7, 1985.
• National Conference on Research in Mental Health Canada. Health and Welfare Canada.
Ottawa, November 12-14, 1985.
• 9th International Conference on Baltic Studies (AABS), Université de Montréal, March 14-17, 1984.
• International Conference on Evaluation of Risk in Canada. Jointly sponsored by the Science Council of Canada and The Royal Society of Canada. Toronto, October 17-19, 1982.

 

Consultant:

 

• Member of Scientific Advisory Council, 26th International Congress of Psychology, Montréal, 1996

 

 

VISITING PROFESSORSHIPS

 

 

February 1998

• University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, Institute of Cognitive Science and Department of Psychology, with Prof. Walter Kintsch

1982-1983

• Oxford University, England, Computing Centre and Department of Psychology

May 1976

• University of Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Slavic and Baltic studies, with Prof. Velta Rūķe-Draviņa

1974-1975

• University Montpellier II, France, Department of Informatics and Department of Psychology

Feb.-March 1975

• University René-Descartes, Paris, Department of Psychology, with prof. Paul Fraisse

Summer 1972

• Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology; work on protocol analysis and process models with Dr. Herbert Simon

 

 

FIELDS OF ACADEMIC INTEREST

 

Cognitive processes

Epistemology and history of science

Discourse analysis

Science policy

Poetics

Science, technology, and society

Psycholinguistics

Science education

Psychopharmacology

Folk beliefs and superstitions

Culture, values, and ethnicity

Feminine condition

 

 

 

TEACHING

 

Psychopharmacology (undergraduate level)
Psycholinguistics (undergraduate level)
Scientific epistemology and the evaluation of theories (graduate level)
Applied psychopharmacology (graduate level)
Language and cognitive processes (graduate level)

Courses taught in the past:


Learning theories
Verbal behaviour and memory
History of psychology
Experimental method and design of experiments (2nd and 3rd year laboratories)

 

 

RESEARCH

 

See ‘Research activities (until 1999)’

 

 

THESES DIRECTED

 

Name

Diploma

Title

Year

Marc Lemay

Ph.D.

Cognitive and quality-of-life effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in seniors who are cognitively impaired but not demented

1999

Rachel Marquis

Ph.D.

Évaluation et comparaison de différents traitements psychologiques dans la douleur de l’endométriose.

1999

Isolde Millet

M.Sc.

Métaphore et similarité

1998

Sylvie Noèl

Ph.D.

Organisation catégorielle des concepts chez l'expert et le novice.

1996

Christian Joyal

M.Sc.

Lien entre niveaux d'activation et taux sanguins de folates chez le rat

1992

M.-H. Chartrand

Ph.D.

Erreurs d'identification visuelle des objets en fonction de l'hémisphère cérébral lésé
[Abandon pour cause de maladie]

Ann Gamsa

Ph.D.

The role of psychological factors in the genesis and perpetuation of chronic pain.

1988

Hélène Poissant

Ph.D.

Les processus inférentiels impliqués dans la compréhension de courtes histoires.

1987

Françoise Sirois

M.Sc.

L'interprétation des métaphores: stratégies utilisées et différences individuelles.

1987

Sylvie Noèl

M.Sc.

Rappel d'histoires courtes et stéréotypes de rôles sexuels

1986

Christian Bégin

M.Sc.

Évaluation des intervalles de l'échelle de fréquence d'usage des mots.

1985

Alain Breuleux

M.Sc.

Analyse contextuelle de l'incompatibilité sémantique dans la métaphore poétique.

1983

Gérard Ouimet

M.Sc.

Stratégies de recouvrement mnémonique pour le transfert positif entre apprentissage sérié et apprentissage par paires associées.

1982

Robert Lalonde

Ph.D.

Altérations sérotonergiques pharmacologiques et apprentissage spatial chez le rat.

1982

Hélène Poissant

M.Sc.

Structure narrative d'un conte et d'un mythe et degré de rappel chez des Indiens Montagnais.

1981

Lorraine Pépin

M.Sc.

Similarités et différences entre métaphores et affirmations littérales.

1981

Marie Vanier

M.Sc.

Atteintes de la capacité d'apprentissage par les agents anesthésiques.

1980

Emile Bédard

Ph.D.

Intervalles temporels entre les mots d'une liste et structuration du rappel en fonction de reproductions successives.

1980

Robert Lalonde

M.Sc.

Effets de la chlorpromazine et du lithium sur l'apprentissage d'une discrimination chez le rat.

1979

André Rousseau

M.Ps.

Comportement verbal dans la dépression psychotique.

1978

Louis Laurencelle

Ph.D.

Codages visuel et acoustique en mémoire à court terme.

1976

John Telner

M.Sc.

Effects of low and moderate doses of chlorpromazine on discrimination learning under positive reinforcement in the rat.

1973

Richard Parent

M.Sc.

Performance en traduction des bilingues mixtes et parallèles.

1972

Claude Leclerc

M.A.

Influence de deux sortes d'indices subliminaux sur la formation d'un concept.

1969

Louis Laurencelle

M.A.

Structuration avec essais répétés en apprentissage libre.

1968

Michel Huard

M.A.

Associations séquentielles et associations avec la position ordinale en apprentissage sérié avec présentation auditive et visuelle.

1968

Réjane Bricault

L.Phil.

Croissance et somatognosie chez les adolescentes.

1967

Sydney Sanders

Ph.D.

Selected auditory perception of parental voices by the disturbed child.

1967

 

 

RESEARCH GRANTS

(Principal researcher)

• Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada

1996-1999

Word, thought and image in the structure and function of oral poetry (Grant No. 410-96-0667)

1993-1996

The logic of poetry: Imagery and propositional logic in oral poetry (Grant No. 410-93-0909)

1990-1993

Structural analysis of computer-accessible texts from an oral tradition (Grant No. 410-90-1622)

1987-1990

Structural analysis of computer-accessible texts from an oral tradition (Grant No. 410-87-01177)

1981-1984

Structural analysis of computer-accessible texts from an oral tradition (Grant No. 410-80-0319)

1980-1981

Structural analysis of computer-accessible texts from an oral tradition (Grant No. S-76-1068-82)

1977-1979

Structural analysis of computer-accessible texts from an oral tradition (Grant No. S-76-1068)

• Canada Council

1974-1975

Computer classification of folkloric texts (Grant No. S73-1636)

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada

1981-1983

Experiments on memory storage and retrieval and lexical statistics
(Grant No. A0700)

1977-1980

Research on psycholinguistics and psychopharmacology (Grant No. A0700)

• National Research Council of Canada

1977-1978

Quantitative studies of psycholinguistic structures

1974-1977

Memory storage and strategies of retrieval (Grants AO219 and CO379)

1971-1974

Process models and concept formation (Grants AO219 and CO379)

1969-1971

Subliminal indices in concept formation

1968-1969

Associative networks of bilinguals in their two languages

1967-1968

Studies on associations and structuring in verbal learning

PUBLICATION GRANTS

1990

Latvian Foundation, Inc. (USA), ,500 for the preparation of the manuscript "Trejādās saules" [The Threefold Sun]

1988

Latvian Foundation, Inc. (USA), 00 to McGill-Queen's University Press for the distribution of "Linguistics and Poetics of Latvian Folk Songs"

1989

Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, 00 to McGill-Queen’s for the distribution of the book "Linguistics and Poetics of Latvian Folk Songs"

1974

Canada Council, $ 3000 to the Presses de l’Université de Montréal for the publication of the book "Fréquence d'usage des mots au Québec"

 

 

EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PROJECTS FOR GRANTING COUNCILS

 

 

Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
FCAC, Quebec research grants programme
FCAR, Quebec aid to publications programme
Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec

 

 

MEMBERSHIP IN SCIENTIFIC AND SCHOLARLY ASSOCIATIONS

 

Canadian Psychological Association
Association de psychologie scientifique de langue française
Société québecoise pour la recherche en psychologie
Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences
Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (USA)
International Association for University Professors of Latvian Origin (LAMZA)
Sigma Xi

 

 

EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE

 

 

• Associate Editor, Journal of Baltic Studies, 1973-1987
• Associate Editor, Jaunā Gaita (a Latvian-Language journal for literature and the arts, published in Canada), 1979-1990

 

 

EVALUATION OF MANUSCRIPTS FOR SCIENTIFIC AND SCHOLARLY JOURNALS

 

 

Canadian Journal of Psychology
Canadian Psychologist
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Psychological Review
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Modern Language Association
Journal of Baltic Studies
Encyclopaedia ‘‘The Peoples of Canada: An Encyclopaedia for the Country. Curtis Fahey (Ed.)

 

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

 

 

March-April 1987

• "Les Belles soirées", Université de Montréal, evening course for adults on psychotropic drugs

1984-1985

• Honeywell Futurist Awards (Canada), Member of the awards committee

• Latvian Cultural Heritage Seminars ‘Trīsreiztrīs’
(continuing education for families), United States and Latvia

1998

Lecturer and workshop co-leader, Mazsalaca, Latvia, July 12-19

1997

Lecturer and workshop co-leader, Stikli, Latvia, July 13-20

1993

Lecturer and workshop co-leader, Sala, Latvia, June 23-30

1992

Lecturer and Co-director of Folklore programme, Catskills, NY, USA ,
August 21-30

1991

Lecturer and Co-director of Folklore programme, Kaucminde, Latvia,
July 15-30

1989

Lecturer and Co-director of Folklore programme, Long Lake, Michigan, USA, August 15-30

• Latvian Cultural Heritage Seminars ‘Divreizdivi’ (for university level participants), USA, Canada, Brazil, Venezuela, Australia, Europe

1979-1980

President, Board of directors

1979-1985

Member, Board of directors

1978-1979

General Director, Seminar organised in Quebec

1976-1977

Program Director

1965-1985

Regular lecturer on folklore, psychology, literature, and ethnic identity

August 1985

• Latvian Summer high-school "Kursa", Shelton, Washington, USA, intensive course on Latvian folklore

1967-1974

• Latvian Saturday school of Montreal, teacher on Latvian folklore and folk arts (primary and secondary levels)

 

 

SUMMARY OF PUBLICATIONS

 

 

Quantity

Category

Year span

I. Poetics, literature, folklore

8

Books (incl. 3 books with 2nd editions)

1988-2005

3

Books in preparation

3

Data bases of Latvian folk song texts (one with melodies)

1976-1989

8

Technical reports

1976-1987

22

Book chapters

1973-2001

1

Short stories

1956

55

Articles in periodicals

1971-2001

II. Cognitive and experimental psychology

1

Books

1974

1

Book chapters

1994

2

Lecture notes

1996-1997

2

Technical reports

1968-1970

23

Articles

1961-1993

III. Essays on culture, ethnic identity and society

36

Articles

1961-1998

IV. Review articles, critiques and book reviews

19

Review articles

1972-1996

Total Publications

9

Books

3

Data bases

12

Technical reports, lecture notes

157

Book chapters, articles

 

Publications about Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga

 

3

I. Biographies of Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (in Latvian and French, with translations in English, Finnish and Russian)

2001-2006

8

II. Press clippings and citations

1996-1998

21

III. Reviews of books written by Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga

1989-1996

 

 

SUMMARY OF COMMUNICATIONS

 

 

Quantity

Category

Year span

84

I. Scientific and scholarly research presentations

1960-1998

44

II. Addresses and allocutions on science policy, technology, professional issues, women's issues, popularization of science

1967-1994

130

III. Speeches, formal addresses and workshops on Literature, Folklore, Cultural and National identity

1968-1999

258

Total Communications

 

Summary of media interviews

 

38

I. Press interviews

1991-17 June 1999

68

II. Radio, TV and film interviews

1968-17 June 1999

106

Total