Dr. Parminder Parmar and Dr. Matthew Mutchler attended and presented research at the 4th International Congress on Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection in Chandigarh, India.
The conference was sponsored by ISIPAR (the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection). The purpose of the ISIPAR Society is to support and encourage research and practice related to issues of interpersonal acceptance and rejection, including but not limited to parental acceptance-rejection, peer acceptance-rejection, acceptance-rejection in intimate adult relationships, and acceptance-rejection in other attachment relationships throughout the lifespan.
Dr. Mutchler and Dr. Parmar presented their research about the role of acceptance and rejection from parents, siblings and intimate partners on psychological adjustment in college students. Portions of their presentation were broadcast on national television in India and 40 other countries throughout the world.
Dr. Parmar is an associate professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State Worthington Scranton, where she was recently recognized for 10 years of service.
She served as the conference organizer, planning the program and making arrangements for scholars from over 19 countries to attend. She also spoke at four separate symposiums throughout the conference sessions, including chairing one session.
Dr. Parmar is presently coordinating the international "Teachers' Acceptance Rejection Project" (TARP) in more than a dozen countries and has presented her research at many national and international academic and research organizations.
A regular contributor to books and research papers to various universities in India, she has received several awards at Penn State Worthington Scranton, including the 2003 David and Joyce Mack Tressler Award for Professional Development; the 2005 PSWS Advisory Board Award for Teaching; the 2007 Dr. Richard J. & Sally Matthews Award for Scholarly Activity; and the 2012 K. Bruce Sherbine Penn State Proud Award.
Dr. Mutchler is an assistant professor of HDFS at Worthington Scranton and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. The 2011 recipient of the campus' Dr. Richard J. and Sally Matthews Award for Scholarly Activity, he was also named "Adviser of the Year" by the PSWS Student Government Association for his work with the Community Service Club.
In 2007, he won "Best Paper by a New Professional" from the Family Therapy Section of the National Conference on Family Relations for his paper presentation, "Therapist Personal Agency - Multidimensional Selves of Marriage and Family Therapists."
He is currently doing research involving Parenting after a High Conflict Separation and teaching counseling skills to undergraduates. He plans to present his research on teaching at the American Psychological Association conference this summer.
A member of the HDFS Disciplinary Planning Committee in Penn State's University College and is participating in undergraduate research with a student researching gender identity and body image.
In his spare time, he practices Karate with his children and just earned his purple belt.
