Education
Ph.D., Wilfrid Laurier University - Community Psychology
M.A., Wilfrid Laurier University - Community Psychology
B.A. (Hon), Brock University - Psychology
B.A., University of Winnipeg - Psychology/Religious Studies
Research and teaching 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).
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.
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.
Team Leader: Churches welcoming immigrants
A national project to explore 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.
Publications
Janzen, R. (2020). Research in service of community: Chapter 12 commentary. In M. Riemer, S.M. Reich, S.D. Evans, G. Nelson, & I. Prilleltensky (Eds.) Community psychology: In pursuit of liberation and well-being (3rd edition). 307-309. New York, NY: Red Globe Press - Macmillan.
Janzen, R. (2019). Pathways to engaging cultural diversity by Canadian Mennonite congregations. Conrad Grebel Review. 37(3), 247-266. DOI: https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/sites/ca.grebel/files/uploads/documents/fall_19_-_janzen.pdf
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.
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.
Visit his profile page on the Centre for Community Based Research website to find more details about his past projects and research publications.