Colombo Institute of Research and Psychology assigns New Academic Management
View(s):As a result of CIRP’s Academic Director, Darshan Perera, vacating his current position due to him leaving the country to complete his PhD, CIRP has recently assigned a new board to run the Academic and Therapeutic Divisions. CIRP’s new academic management includes Ms Dilhara Vithanage (MSc, MA, BA, Dip. Psy) as Director of Studies (Part time programmes), Mr Lakmal Ponnamperuma (MPhil, BA Hons) as Director of Post Graduate Programs & Head of Therapeutic Division and Dr Janet LeValley (PhD, MA, ABD, BA,AA) as Dean of Under Graduate Studies.
CIRP maintains a strong culture of inspiring and nurturing unconstrained thinking and creativity of its students in order to achieve new heights in the fields of psychology and research.
Ms Dilhara Vithanage holds an MSc in Applied Psychology specializing in Clinical and Counseling, an MA in Linguistics and among her other qualifications, a BSc in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Counseling Psychology. She has over 5 years teaching experience in the fields of cognitive and developmental psychology and was awarded the academic staff member of the year title during the 2012 Graduation ceremony of CIRP. As a founding academic staff member, her expertise has contributed greatly to the establishment and success of CIRP.
Holding an MPhil in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from the University of Colombo and a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Peredeniya, Mr Lakmal Ponnamperuma has been appointed as the Director of Post Graduate Programs. Trained and experienced as a Clinical Psychologist, he will also be Heading the Therapeutic Division that CIRP maintains. Mr Ponnamperuma has worked in several government organizations before he joined CIRP and his vast experience as a professional psychologist will be greatly beneficial to the students of CIRP.
The Dean heading CIRP’s school of Under Graduate Studies, Dr Janet LeValley, is an American psychologist with decades of experience in both Western and Asian communities as a senior counselor and psychologist. “At CIRP we take a whole student approach to education, providing not only classes and degrees, but also internship opportunities, student leadership options, schedule and program flexibility, active learning orientation, mutual respect, personal attention and lecturers with experience in research and theory application to the real world. I am elated that the impressively rapid growth of CIRP has now brought us to the point where separate deans for under graduate and post graduate studies are now critical. It is an exciting time for us.”
In order to maintain its reputation as one of the best facilitated institutes in terms of infrastructure and education, CIRP has a faculty of over 25 lecturers and tutors working on both full – time and part – time basis at the institute. The full time faculty includes:
Ms Dilhara Vithanage (MSc, M.A, B.A Arts, Dip Psychology and Counseling, Dip Journalism and Communication), Mr Lakmal Ponnamperuma (M.Pill Clinical Psychology, B.A(Hons)Psychology), Ms Liana Dadhlani (Msc International Public Health, Bsc Psychology), Mr Nilanga Abeysinghe (Msc Clinical and Abnormal Psychology, BA Psychology, Dip Counseling), Ms Anoma Edirimanna (MBA Management of Technology, Bsc Physical Science), Ms Chathurika Kannagara (Msc Psychology , BA Psychology), Dr Jayaratne Pinikhana (PhD Sociology, MSc Epidemiology & Health Planning, BA Sociology), Ms Anuza Subramaniam (MSc Applied Psychology, MA Psychology), Ms Hana Haniffa (Bsc Psychology)and Ms Pavani Boralessa (BSc Psychology).
CIRP is currently preparing for its 3rd Batch of MSc students and successfully completed its annual examination board on the 17th of July. In attendance of this occasion was Dr Douglas Howat, Head of the Psychology Department, Coventry University, UK and Professor Graham Turpin, as the external examiner. Professor Graham went on to comment on the quality of the programs offered and the academic level shown by the students.
Currently, CIRP offers a Free of Charge Orientation program which commenced in July, for the students registered for the September intake of the MSc in Psychology and MSc in Applied Psychology programmes.
In addition to its Masters Programmes, CIRP offers specialized Diplomas in the field of Organization Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Child and Adolescent Psychology, Clinical and Abnormal Psychology, Counseling and Psychotherapy and General Psychology.
To facilitate students looking to purse a Higher Education in the field of Psychology and are after AL’s, CIRP has made available a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Psychology which leads to a BSc (Hons) offered by the University of Hertfordshire (UK).
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