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By Tara Sharpe
Ball. Photo: UVic Photo Services Dr. Jessica Ball (child and youth care) is the recipient of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC’s (CUFA BC) 2009 Academic of the Year Award, and no doubt a certain circle of Indigenous parents would offer up a rousing ovation. An internationally recognized expert in Aboriginal child health and development, Ball is also particularly well known for her five-year inaugural study (2003–08) of Indigenous fathers, a project involving 80 First Nations and Métis fathers of young children.
The project on Indigenous fathers was one of seven undertaken nationally by the Father Involvement Research Alliance, a Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) study examining the nature of fatherhood. Ball’s efforts were oriented around the revitalization of Indigenous fatherhood, and she receives acclaim from her peers for this approach.
“She is a role model for all of us as the quintessential community-oriented academic,” says Dr. Marion Ehrenberg, director of clinical training in UVic’s Department of Psychology and one of the award nominators.
An example of Ball’s community-university approach was the engagement of an Aboriginal team from five partner communities in BC to advise her on the study: these fathers reviewed project plans and data interpretations as well as made recommendations such as the critical need for a documentary DVD (produced as Fatherhood: Indigenous Men’s Journeys) and booklets featuring Aboriginal men telling their fatherhood stories in their own words.
“Jessica’s work truly exemplifies the principles of this award,” says Dr. Leslie Brown, associate dean of research for the Faculty of Human and Social Development and a fellow nominator. “She deserves this honour in so many ways, and particularly for her commitment to the protection of cultural diversity, for her research and perseverance, and her flexibility and creativity.”
Ball made sure her findings were readily available to her most important audience: parents and childhood educators. She created a user-friendly website (www.ecdip.org) providing information on early education and the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge in programs for children and families. She prepared a series of well-designed reports as hand-outs for community meetings and workshops. And, to accompany the DVD, she compiled a tool-kit of booklets, posters, fact sheets, tips and articles. Over 3,000 resource packs have been distributed nationally and internationally.
Committed to bringing research evidence into policy decision-making processes, she has presented her research findings to numerous federal policy roundtables and parliamentary committees and has received invitations from scholars and community leaders as far away as Hawaii, Australia and Bangladesh.
“She has earned trust and respect from community members, academics and educators through her many years of engaging in sound research with the intention of benefiting Aboriginal communities and global society as a whole,” says fellow nominator Dr. Sandrina de Finney (child and youth care). “Jessica’s example extends across all borders.”
After completing three post-graduate degrees at the University of California, Berkeley, Ball has spent more than 20 years teaching in universities in Asia and North America and is the co-author of three books as well as numberous journal articles and book chapters.
Ball is also recipient of the 2009 Craigdarroch Research Award for Research Communication (see story).
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