Two new Honorary Doctors have been appointed at Karlstad University in 2024. They specialize in the fields of hydropower environmental issues and psychology. The award ceremony will take place during the Academic Celebration on October 18.
The Faculty of Health, Science, and Engineering has appointed Johan Tielman as Honorary Doctor in 2024. Johan Tielman studied economics at Halmstad University, fishery conservation at Gothenburg University, and limnology at Lund University. He has worked as an environmental expert at Sydkraft, E.ON, and Fortum, and currently works at Uniper, Sydkraft Hydropower. His leadership and decisive role in addressing national hydropower environmental issues have spanned over 30 years. Additionally, he played a crucial role in the development of the research group The River Ecology and Management Research Group at Karlstad University. Together with them, Johan initiated several research projects focused on designing, implementing, and evaluating environmental improvement measures at hydropower plants. He has also been involved in advancing research related to fish passage solutions, environmentally adapted flows, and the conservation of the critically endangered eel species. Johan possesses extensive knowledge regarding hydropower’s environmental challenges, encompassing both technical and biological aspects, and has been an initiator of several innovative collaborations between industry and academia.
“Finding new solutions to old problems is both challenging and rewarding. By combining the experience and knowledge that our company has about our facilities with the innovative research environment at Karlstad University, we have been able to stay at the forefront and develop methods and tools that benefit the entire hydropower industry. This collaboration has been enriching for both parties, and not least for myself. Learning that I have been appointed an Honorary Doctor at Karlstad University came as a big surprise, but it certainly made me both happy and honored”.
Great effort for parents and children exposed to violence in Sweden
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences appoints Renee McDonald as Honorary Doctor in 2024. Renee McDonald, a Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA, has been committed to building knowledge about violence in close relationships and developing interventions for vulnerable children and adults. She has had a close collaboration with Kjerstin Almqvist, Professor of Psychology at Karlstad University, since 2012 in connection with the National Board of Health and Welfare’s mission to evaluate evidence-based methods for parents and children exposed to violence. One of the selected methods was Project Support, developed by Renee McDonald together with Ernest Jouriles, Professor of psychology. It marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration that is still ongoing and has resulted both in research and practice. Helena Draxler, Doctor of Psychology at Karlstad University, has been trained as an instructor in Project Support with the support of Renee McDonald. Training in the method is now provided by Uppdragsutbildning AB, primarily for therapists in social services throughout Sweden. Renee McDonald has also contributed and supported training programs within psychology at Karlstad University. Thus, she has had significant importance not only academically but also for many parents and children exposed to violence in Sweden.
“I am tremendously honored to receive an honorary doctorate from Karlstad University. When Prof. Kjerstin Almqvist approached our research team in 2011 about collaborating to bring to Sweden our evidence-based clinical program for children who had experienced family violence, I never imagined our work together would continue far, far beyond that initial project. I also never envisioned that through this work I would form relationships not only with the team spearheading the project at Karlstad University, but also with counselors from children’s services agencies in other communities across Sweden”
