"Dedicated and accomplished" professor retires in Greece
Thu. Nov. 13, 2025
Dr. Jim Clark, Professor of Psychology and former Chair of the Department of Psychology, retired this fall after more than 35 years of service at the University of Winnipeg. As you’ll read, Dr. Clark has been a passionate advocate for the Department of Psychology, an outstanding researcher, a vocal proponent for Science, and has achieved “legendary status” in his work with students.
Dean of Arts, Dr. Tracy Whalen, expresses the sentiment of many, stating “I have known Jim for years, and can’t imagine the University without him. I’m going to miss him tremendously.”
Dr. Bev Fehr, Professor of Psychology, is a longtime colleague of Dr. Clark and knows him well. Dr. Fehr offers the following anecdote, saying. “Jim's most distinguishing characteristic is that he has always believed that all questions can be answered using the scientific method. Years ago he and I were at a Thanksgiving dinner and the host suggested we all go around the table and say what we were thankful for. Most people gave predictable answers—expressing gratitude for family and/or friends. When it came to Jim's turn, someone (I don't recall who) made the remark that, "Jim is thankful for the scientific method."”
Dr. Derrick Bourassa, Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department of Psychology, is also a longtime colleague of Dr. Clark. Dr. Bourassa provided the following remarks which he’d given at the University of Winnipeg’s Long Service Awards in 2024 on the occasion of Dr. Clark’s receipt of an award for 35 Years of Services. Dr. Bourassa began by stating, “It is difficult to imagine a more dedicated and accomplished UWinnipeg employee than Jim Clark.”
Dr. Bourassa continued, “With a staggering total of 11 courses to his credit, Jim has been, by far, the department’s most versatile instructor. Drawing on his incredibly deep knowledge of various disciplines within psychology, Jim has engaged students in topics such culture and psychology, religion and psychology, abnormal psychology, and cognitive psychology. He has also achieved legendary status as the greatly respected instructor of the department’s most challenging course, Psychology 4100 (an Honours-level statistics course), which he has taught for over two decades. Finally, he has mentored dozens of Honours Thesis projects that have spanned an impressively diverse array of topics.”
“Jim’s vast intellect is also evident in his scholarly achievements, which rank among the very best in the department’s history. His enormous contributions to the area of cognitive psychology have appeared in several of the field’s top journals. Some of his more recent work in the area of abnormal/clinical psychology has also received a great deal of attention. Taken together, Jim’s work has been cited over 8,000 times in the psychological literature – a tremendous impact to say the least.”
“Finally, Jim has contributed tirelessly to university governance. He has served admirably on virtually every departmental committee (chairing several of them multiple times) and has also served on several important university committees (Academic Planning Committee, Budget Advisory Committee, Academic Standards Committee, and Advisory Committee on Institutional Research and Planning, to name only a few). Jim’s major highlight in the area of service is undoubtedly his time as Chair of department from 2012 to 2017. He was instrumental in advancing numerous curricular developments (e.g., the addition of the 4-year psychology degree) and oversaw numerous strategic initiatives that enhanced the profile of the department. The department would not be where it is today without Jim’s monumental efforts.”
Dr. Bourassa ended his remarks on behalf of the department by stating, “It has been an honour and a privilege for all of us to work alongside Jim. He has always been remarkably approachable, always willing to lend an ear or offer sage advice to both students and colleagues alike. His warmth, kindness, and unwavering support have fostered a strong sense of community within our department over the past 35 years.”