U OF T PROF IS AWARDED EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT HONOUR

Toronto Star (Saturday, July 30, A15)

U of T prof is awarded early child development honour

Leadership role in early years research

Appointment caps long career’s work

Peter Edwards

Staff reporter

Carl Corter, a University of Toronto Psychology professor with more than three decades of experience in childcare issues, has been awarded the Atkinson Charitable Foundation Chair in Early Child Development and Education.

“This is the culmination of all the things that I’ve been interested in, and the hope that it can be applied to young children and families,” Corter said in an interview yesterday.

He said it’s “a terrifc honour” to be following in the tradition of John J. Kelso, a Toronto reporter in the late 19^th century whose fight for vacations and excursions for impoverished children led to the creation of the Star’s Fresh Air Fund.

Keslo, a friend of then Star publisher Joseph Atkinson, was also a founder of the Toronto Humane Society and the Children’s Aid Society. 

Corter, 59, received his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and joined U of T’s psychology department in 1971.

“Dr. Corter’s demonstrated excellence in scholarship, coupled with his community leadership and strong advocacy for early childhood development and education make him a perfect fit for the role of the Atkinson Chair,” Charles Pascal, executive director of the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, said in a statement.

The appointment is for five years at U of T.  Corter replaces Daniel Keating – professor of human development and applied psychology at the U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – who held the chair for three years.

As Chair, Corter will play a leadership role in the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, a network of researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers engaged in research, training and pilot projects aimed at enhancing understanding and support for the early years, a statement from the Atkinson Foundation said.

Corter will continue as director of research and evaluation for the Toronto First Duty Project, a partnership between the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board that focuses on linking child care, kindergarten and family support programs.

The Atkinson Charitable Foundation established the Chair in Early Child Development and Education and the U of T in 2001 with a $1 million endowment fund.

Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited