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Creating a better future for communities through research

Rich Janzen, Research Director

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PhD Community Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University rich@communitybasedresearch.ca, Tel: (519) 741-1318 ext 233

Rich Janzen has worked at CCBR since 1996, becoming Research Director in 2004. Rich sees research as a tool for social innovation and change - to find new ways of bringing people who are on the edge of society to live within community as full and equal members. Rich has an academic background in community psychology and religious studies, and has taught community-based research at Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo.

Research and Action Interests

Rich has been involved in 90-plus participatory action research projects, many focused on issues of cultural diversity or mental health. This breadth of work has included multi-partner research initiatives, community mobilization, systems change evaluation, and needs assessment with direct policy impact. He is author of 30 academic articles, over 100 technical research reports, and presenter at over 130 conferences, workshops and community events. Rich is an affiliated member of the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS).

Recent Projects

Team Leader: Mobilizing Waterloo Region around immigrant employment.

  • A series of four inter-related projects that culminated in the launch and evaluation of Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN), a comprehensive community initiative to promote local immigrant employment. More details.

Team Leader: Churches welcoming immigrants

  • A national project toexplore how and to what extent Canadian church congregations are welcoming and including immigrants in their church-life.It also intends to identify ways to better involve immigrants within Canadian churches. Carried out in partnership with World Vision and the Tyndale Intercultural Ministry Centre. More details.

For a full listing, please search for "Rich" under Leader or Member/Leader in our projects directory. 

Sample Publications

Janzen, R., Chapman, M., & Watson, J. (2012). Integrating immigrants into the life of Canadian urban Christian congregations: Findings from a national survey. Review of Religious Research. 53(4),441-470.

Janzen, R., Ochocka, J., Jacobson, N., Maiter, S., Simich, L., Westhues, A., Fleras, A. & The Taking Culture Seriously Partners (2010). Synthesizing Culture and Power in Community Mental Health: An Emerging Framework. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.29 (1), 51-67.

Janzen, R. & Wiebe, D. (2010). Putting God in the logic model: Developing a national framework for the evaluation of faith-based organizations. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. 25(1), 1-26.

View Full CV.

Other Interests

Rich has visited over 30 countries around the world and previously worked as a cross cultural social planner in Toronto. He now lives with his family in Waterloo, Ontario. Rich is an active member of a community-minded Mennonite church located in a multicultural neighbourhood of Kitchener. He has self-published two family history books.