EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
PROVOST & VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC
The Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Craig Monk, is responsible for promoting a culture of academic excellence at MacEwan University and for maintaining the university’s reputation as a student-focused institution.
The provost and vice-president, academic oversees Academic Affairs, which facilitates and supports the thematic values of the university:
- The primacy of the learner and student engagement;
- The central importance of good teaching and its connection to interactive relationships within the learning experiences; and,
- The value of dynamic links to the larger social, economic and professional realities.
Within a shared governance framework, Academic Affairs is responsible for academic program development and delivery, scholarly activity, academic policies, enrolment management, educational technology, the Centre for Teaching and Learning and a number of supporting functions to support learner success and faculty engagement. In addition, Academic Affairs is accountable for the institutional and educational technology mandate at MacEwan as well as the requirements of Institutional Research.
The Strategic Enrolment Management Committee is a standing committee of Provost’s Group and provides leadership on enrolment planning for the university.
About Dr. Monk
Dr. Craig Monk has been provost and vice-president, academic at MacEwan University since May 2018. He holds a concurrent appointment as professor in the Department of English, and he served a full term as dean of MacEwan’s Faculty of Arts and Science from 2013 to 2018.
In his current administrative role, he serves as the principal academic officer for MacEwan and leads a talented and dedicated team of deans and academic associate vice-presidents in the shared pursuit of an exemplary undergraduate experience for students. He has appointed or reappointed all ten members of this leadership team, bringing seven new leaders to MacEwan from institutions across Canada. Dr. Monk is committed to viewpoint diversity in the academy and is proud of the further dedication our institution has made to tenure and to academic freedom in our Collective Agreement as we established ourselves as an “undergraduate university” under Alberta’s Post-Secondary Learning Act. He wrote and received unanimous approval across campus for MacEwan’s “Statement on Free Expression,” the first such original statement adopted in the province, and he remains the sponsor for our “Free Expression on Campus” policy.
He is dedicated to helping grow an institution that both reflects and engages the community it serves. Dr. Monk participated proudly in the development of Teaching Greatness: Strategic Vision 2030, a growth framework for MacEwan that honours our place in O-day’min. Over the past decade, he has been involved directly in the recruitment of hundreds of new faculty colleagues across every academic department at MacEwan, and he oversaw the growth of additional teaching and research support for the academy. He also implemented a new structure for student services, including a hub-and-spoke advising model, as we seek to expand our student numbers beyond 20,000. He completed the university’s first mandate renewal in a decade and helped establish our first General Faculties Council, the foundation for our collegial governance, and served as its first chair during twelve months of transition. He works now with the president by co-chairing, with faculty colleagues, council standing committees focused, amongst other things, on quality assurance. As his main philanthropic interest, he supports Bent River Records, MacEwan University’s own record label.
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Dr. Monk received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Memorial University, an M.A. from Western University, and M.St. and D.Phil. degrees from Oxford University, where he held a Rothermere Fellowship at Linacre College. He was awarded further research fellowships from Indiana University, the University of Texas and Yale University. His research, dealing with topics in American literature, autobiography, modernism and publishing history, has twice been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He is author of Writing the Lost Generation: Expatriate Autobiography and American Modernism (University of Iowa Press) and he completed a five-year term as co-editor of the journal of record in his field of scholarly expertise, American Periodicals: A Journal of History, Criticism, and Bibliography (Ohio State University Press).
He was previously professor of English at the University of Lethbridge, where he was appointed first as assistant dean (Students) and, then, as associate dean in its Faculty of Arts and Science. He served as the founding chair of the steering committee of its Centre for the Advancement of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and as founding coordinator of its Academic Writing Program. He received their Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007.
Deans
Dr. Melike Schalomon
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science
Professor, Department of Psychology
Dr. Melike Schalomon has served as chair of the Department of Psychology and the Animal Research Ethics Board at MacEwan University. She has also held faculty appointments at the University of Alberta and Athabasca University.
Dr. Schalomon’s teaching interests are primarily in the area of behavioural neuroscience and more broadly, the biological bases of behaviour. She has taught courses on topics related to neuroanatomy, neuropsychology and human sexuality, in addition to introductory level courses in psychology. Her current program of research is focused on the neurochemical bases of anxiety and conditioning in zebrafish (Danio rerio) employing computerized motion tracking of fish behaviour. Dr. Schalomon has previously published research on mice (experimental neurogenetics and neurosurgery, cerebral lateralization), rats (experimental neurosurgery, prefrontal cortex) and humans (sexuality in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder).
Dr. Allan Gilliland
Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications
Professor, Department of Music
Dr. Allan Gilliland has had a distinguished career as an administrator, educator and composer. He became the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications in January 2017 and prior to that was Chair of Music from 2012-2016.
Dr. Gillliland has also taught at the University of Alberta, the University of Edinburgh and Red Deer College. He holds a PhD in Composition from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Music degree in composition and a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the University of Alberta and a Diploma in Jazz Studies from Humber College.
One of Canada’s busiest composers, Dr. Gilliland has written for solo instruments, orchestra, choir, brass quintet, wind ensemble, big band, film, television and theatre. His music has been performed by some of the finest ensembles and soloists in the world and appears on over 30 CDs including three; Collaborations, O Music and Dreaming: The Prague Sessions, dedicated entirely to his music. Many of these performances have been in the world’s major concert halls including symphony halls in Boston and Detroit, Tchaikovsky Hall in Russia, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and twice at Carnegie Hall in 2012. For five years (1999‐2004) he was composer-in-residence with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and in 2012 his CD O Music was nominated for two Western Canadian Music Awards and won for Best Classical Composition.
Dr. David Danto
Dean, Health and Community Studies
Professor, Department of Public Safety and Justice Studies
Dr. Danto's academic career has provided him with experience across a variety of community and health contexts including hospitals, federal corrections and community-based services including services within Indigenous communities in the far north.
Dr. Danto takes an applied, community and health-related approach in his work, bringing with him invaluable experience in areas such as curriculum development (including microcredentials, study-abroad opportunities and experiential learning), expanding student funding opportunities and developing partnerships with international universities.
Dr. Christy Raymond
Dean, Faculty of Nursing
Professor, Department of Health Systems and Sustainability
Dr. Christy Raymond is an experienced educator, researcher and administrator, having worked in various areas of nursing post-secondary education for over 20 years. She has taught extensively in continuing, baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, supervised graduate students and mentored numerous educators over her career. With a special interest in the development of nurse educator capabilities, Dr. Raymond has delivered various keynote addresses, co-published a fundamentals of nursing textbook utilized by local health authorities and offered various faculty development sessions related to her areas of expertise.
Dr. Raymond has a diverse research program, exploring dually nursing education and nursing practice from the lens of the educator and nurse, respectively. More specifically, she is engaged in CIHR and SSHRC funded work studying nurse staffing and its impact on care outcomes, as well as innovating nursing education practices to increase the learning of future nurses. Dr. Raymond also actively engages in scholarship of teaching and learning projects specific to nurse educators’ abilities to create meaningful learning environments for students in clinical learning environments. She has been a strong advocate for nursing research in Canada, recently serving the Canadian Association for Nursing Research (CANR) as Interim President.
Throughout her administrative experience, Dr. Raymond has led various nursing programs spanning different institutions, demonstrating expertise in academic program development, implementation and evaluation. Practicing from a relational and caring approach, she has received a number of awards for her teaching and leadership, recognizing her outstanding abilities and commitment to excellence in creating inclusive, student-centered nursing education.
Dr. Richard Perlow
Dean, School of Business
Professor, Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources Management, and Management
Dr. Richard Perlow has over two decades of experience in higher education. Before joining MacEwan as the Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Perlow worked at the University of Lethbridge in the Dhillon School of Business where he taught courses in human resource management and organizational behaviour. From 2006 to 2015 he served as the School’s associate dean. Dr. Perlow has also held appointments at the University of Manitoba, Clemson University and Auburn University.
Dr. Perlow has taught courses at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. His teaching interests are in human resource management and organizational behaviour topics such as staffing, training and job performance. He has applied experience in job analysis, recruiting, selection, training and performance management.
Dr. Perlow's research interests include personality and other individual differences in performance, counterproductive behaviour and employment discrimination. He has published his research in journals such the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Business and Psychology, and Human Performance.
Dr. Heather McRae
Dean, School of Continuing Education
Professor, School of Continuing Education
Dr. McRae was appointed Founding Dean of the School of Continuing Education on April 14, 2014. She was previously an associate professor and the associate dean of Engaged Learning at the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta. Dr. McRae has extensive work experience in continuing education both at the University of Victoria and Okanagan University College.
As Dean of the School of Continuing Education at MacEwan University, Dr. McRae is responsible for developing and overseeing the academic and administrative direction of continuing education. This involves collaboration and consultation within and outside of the university, needs assessment, partnerships with key stakeholders and the establishment of structures and processes that enable student participation and success.
Dr. McRae has completed a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Simon Fraser University, a Master of Science from the University of Oregon, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia. She received a graduate student award for her thesis on community engagement and a journal award for her article outlining the role of continuing education within the university and society from the Canadian Association of University Continuing Education (CAUCE).
She continues to explore community engagement policies and practices within her research program and through involvement in committees and organizations. Dr. McRae is currently the chair of the Research and Information Committee for CAUCE and the co-founder of the Affinity Group on Community Engagement within the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education. She is also involved in an international project on mainstreaming community-based research and a pan-Canadian SSHRC funded initiative supporting the development of innovative, resilient and prosperous communities.
Karen Keiller
Dean, Library
Librarian, John L. Haar Library
Karen Keiller was appointed Dean of the Library on July 1, 2019. Before she came to MacEwan University, she was the University Librarian and Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) at Lakehead University, Director of Information Services and Systems at the University of New Brunswick (Saint John) and held positions at the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and Red River College.
As Dean of the Library, she strives to make a positive impact, to advocate for openness and to find creative and innovative solutions to ensure that MacEwan University Library is regarded for its creative, collaborative approaches and solutions to providing a transformative education.
Karen holds a M.L.I.S. from Western University in London, Ontario, and B.A. (Hons) from the University of Winnipeg.
Associate vice-presidents
Tim Tang
Associate Vice-President, Students
Tim Tang is a postsecondary leader with over 15 years of experience at several universities in Ontario and Alberta, with expertise in student affairs, enrolment management, internationalization, advancement and alumni relations, and program and policy development. He was appointed associate vice-president, students (AVPS) at MacEwan University, effective June 1, 2021.
In this role, Tim plays an important part in creating an overarching vision and strategy for supporting student access, health, wellness and growth. He also oversees the development and delivery of integrated and effective student services and programs and the administration of student-related policies. As the AVPS, Tim provides leadership and guidance to a wide range of service units that are crucial to student success, including the Academic Advising Centre, Wellness and Psychological Services, Access and Disability Resources, Exam Services Centre, Academic Integrity Office and Student Conduct. He also leads programs and initiatives that set students up for success, such as the first-year experience, new student orientation, as well as those that enrich students’ time at the university, including kihêw waciston, and Griffins athletics. He is dedicated to enabling student success and engagement both inside and outside the classroom.
Prior to joining MacEwan, Tim held leadership roles at the University of Toronto, Queen’s, York University and the University of Alberta, where he was most recently the assistant registrar and director, admissions. In this role, Tim effectively stewarded the launch of a new admissions system, led key proposals to adjust admissions practices in response to the pandemic and developed strong collaborative relationships across the university, all while maintaining a high level of service to applicants and faculties. He also led efforts related to the centralization of admissions and enrolment management functions in support of service excellence transformation. While at Queen’s, Tim played a key role in establishing a new central unit with a mandate to help shape a holistic student experience, and led the design and implementation of programs and services related to new student orientation, undergraduate student transition, leadership development and community-engaged learning. Known for his capacity to combine and leverage his skills in strategic planning with a collaborative and student-centric approach, Tim successfully established a culture of collaboration and support, improved student engagement and retention and facilitated success for a diverse population of learners.
In addition, Tim is a champion and advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and has led EDII initiatives at an institutional level. In 2017, Tim was appointed by the Queen’s Principal to serve on a six-member advisory committee tasked with developing a comprehensive set of university-wide, implementation-focused program and policy recommendations, working alongside the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Task Force and informed by extensive consultations with the campus community.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Tim received a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in molecular genetics from the University of Toronto, and M.Ed. and MPA degrees from Queen’s University. He has also completed a postgraduate certificate in intercultural studies from UBC. Tim brings a theoretically-informed and evidence-based approach to his work as an educator, administrator, and leader in the higher education sector. His areas of expertise and research interests are assessment and evaluation, educational policy, and organizational behaviour and leadership.
Dr. Craig Kuziemsky
Associate Vice-President, Research, and Vice-Provost
Professor, Department of Decision Sciences
Dr. Craig Kuziemsky was appointed associate vice-president, research, at MacEwan University on September 1, 2019. Dr. Kuziemsky also holds the rank of professor in the School of Business. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Science and a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction. He received his doctoral degree in Health Information Science from the University of Victoria in 2006.
Prior to joining MacEwan, Craig was a full professor and University Research Chair in Healthcare Innovation in the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. He also served as director of the M.Sc. in Health Systems program (2010-16) and the Master of Health Administration Program (2017-19). Craig was also awarded the University of Ottawa 2013 Young Researcher of the Year Award in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Craig’s research has developed innovative approaches to model collaborative health care delivery to support the design of information and communication technology (ICT) to support different contexts of collaboration. His studies of collaboration have used approaches such as complexity theory to understand the nature of collaborative interactions in different healthcare settings such as clinical health care and public health for disaster management.
As associate vice-president, research, Craig provides leadership in developing and nurturing the research enterprise at MacEwan. Internally, he is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Office of Research Services and its responsibilities, including developing and interpreting research policy and protocols, grant administration, facilitating collaboration across MacEwan’s various faculties and promoting MacEwan’s research excellence and impact. Externally, Craig engages with the community, industry partners, different levels of government, granting councils and other research institutions and universities to create a dynamic research atmosphere for MacEwan’s faculty, staff and students. Craig also provides executive leadership for MacEwan International and Careers and Experience.
Dr. David McLaughlin
Associate Vice-President, Planning & Analysis, and Registrar
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Dr. David McLaughlin was appointed associate vice-president (AVP), planning & analysis and registrar on August 15, 2018. As the registrar, David oversees the Office of the University Registrar, the formal repository of student records at MacEwan and students’ leading point of contact for admissions, registration, student financial aid and convocation. Through the Office of Institutional Analysis and Planning, the AVP, planning & analysis leads the Integrated Strategic Planning activities at MacEwan; coordinates analyses for decision making, program planning and program review; and liaises with various units in the Ministry of Advanced Education and with Campus Alberta Quality Council.
David joined MacEwan in July 1998 as a mathematics instructor, following seven years in the British Columbia post-secondary system. David has a B.Sc. in mathematics (Honours) from Dalhousie University and an M.Sc. and PhD in mathematics from the University of Alberta. He is an associate professor in mathematics in the Faculty of Arts and Science.
David has held numerous leadership roles at MacEwan, including several firsts (research officer, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, vice-chair of Academic Governance Council, vice-chair of Faculty of Arts and Science Faculty Council), as well as acting associate dean of science, acting associate vice-president, academic research and, from 2013–2018, executive director of Institutional Analysis and Planning. David’s numerous service activities at MacEwan have contributed to MacEwan’s evolution into a comprehensive student-centred university. He has a passion for mathematics education and continues to volunteer time in the Math/Stats Learning Centre.
Office of the Provost Contacts
Kit Anderson
Academic Affairs Governance and Administration Lead
7-210, City Centre Campus
780-497-5420
andersonk248@macewan.ca
Greg Alstad
Manager, Academic Affairs Administration
7-252L, City Centre Campus
780-497-5630
alstadg@macewan.ca
Stacey Martin
Senior Manager
7-210, City Centre Campus
780-633-3624
stacey.martin@macewan.ca
Hananeel Robertson
Communications Specialist
7-210H, City Centre Campus
780-497-5425
robertsonh23@macewan.ca
Elizabeth Emslie
Executive Assistant
7-210, City Centre Campus
780-497-5408
emsliee@macewan.ca