Dr. Martin Seligman Awarded $100,000 International Prize for Achievements in Psychology by Toronto-based Tang Foundation

TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2014 /CNW/ – The Toronto-based Tang Foundation is pleased to announce that Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is the recipient of the inaugural Tang Foundation Prize for Achievements in Psychology. The prize includes a cash award of $100,000 – placing it among the world's most significant recognition programs for achievement in psychology.

Adjudicated by the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, the Tang Foundation Prize honours internationally recognized scholars in psychology or a closely related field who have made an exceptional contribution to the field. The Prize is an important part of the Tang Foundation's core mission: to raise awareness of the importance of psychological well-being around the world.

"I am extremely pleased that the first Tang Foundation Prize has been awarded to a psychologist whose credentials and contributions to the field are so truly exceptional," said Dr. Fay Tang, a practising clinical psychologist in Toronto, who established the Tang Foundation in 2006. "I created the Foundation to add a Canadian voice to the cause of promoting mental health throughout the world, and I can think of no better inaugural recipient than Dr. Seligman, whose accomplishments are both impressive and internationally significant."

A former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Seligman is a leading authority in the fields of Positive Psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism, and he has conducted important research towards improving optimism, self-discipline and social engagement, as well as resilience in the face of trauma and emotional distress. He is the author of more than 250 scholarly publications and 20 books.

The Tang Foundation Prize for Achievements in Psychology was presented to Dr. Seligman at a special ceremony at the University of Toronto on Nov. 12, 2014.

Image with caption: "Tang Foundation (CNW Group/Tang Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141202_C4669_PHOTO_EN_8872.jpg

SOURCE: Tang Foundation

Joe Chidley, [email protected], 416 616 2141.