MacEwan University is pleased to announce its newest Board of Governors Research Chairs: Dr. Emily Milne, Faculty of Arts and Science, and Dr. Albena Pergelova, School of Business.
“Dr. Milne and Dr. Pergelova are exceptional scholars who are conducting critical research in their respective disciplines,” says Carolyn Graham, chair of the Board of Governors. “I look forward to seeing how they use this position to support MacEwan’s new strategic vision and have no doubt that the work they will produce during their two-year terms will contribute to defining MacEwan's scholars as trendsetters and trendbreakers.”
The Board of Governors Research Chair program contributes to building the university's culture of scholarship, and supports faculty who have demonstrated or shown potential for exceptional scholarly distinction. Faculty members in these roles contribute to the advancement of MacEwan University’s Strategic Vision and the development of a strong academic and scholarly culture both within the institution and in the larger community.
Dr. Milne and Dr. Pergelova will serve two-year terms as research chairs, alongside current research chairs Jacqueline Baker and Dr. Christopher Striemer, whose terms run from 2021 to 2023.
Meet the new Board of Governors Research Chairs
Dr. Emily Milne is a community-engaged researcher who uses theory and research methods to address and inform priority areas in education practice, teacher-training, and public policy, and to co-create solutions to social issues with community partners. She is involved in several community-engaged projects in partnership with schools and school divisions, parents/caregivers as well as Elders that aim to support Indigenous students by identifying educational inequalities and developing school-based policies and strategies to reduce them.
Dr. Milne has published numerous academic journal articles and book chapters on topics including educational inequality, social policy, family/school relationships, community-engaged research, and education and reconciliation. She has given many presentations at academic conferences and to professional/practitioner audiences, including educators and policy makers at Alberta Education, and prepared numerous reports for government and school divisions. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has received national media coverage.
Dr. Albena Pergelova’s research is interdisciplinary, spanning entrepreneurship and marketing with a focus on social and emancipatory aspects of entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship, consumer well-being, and digital technologies. Her work has been published in leading international journals across different fields, including Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Small Business Management, International Small Business Journal, Journal of Advertising, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Advertising and Journal of Consumer Affairs. She has presented at many academic conferences, such as the American Marketing Association Conference, Academy of Marketing Conference, European Marketing Academy Conference, Diana International Research Conference and Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference.
Dr. Pergelova has received numerous awards and grants for her research, including BCERC Best Paper in Social Entrepreneurship Award, DIANA Conference Best Paper in Women Entrepreneurship, several Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Marketing, as well as international and SSHRC funding. Her expertise is regularly sought as a reviewer for leading journals and conferences.