The Chancellor’s Research Chair title recognizes faculty who have demonstrated sustained, high-quality scholarship and the potential for exceptional scholarly distinction both within the institution and beyond.

The new distinction is the first under Chancellor Gary Mar, who was installed in September 2025.

“Many of the proposals chosen this year involve partnering with students, proving that teaching takes place in many ways and in many places at MacEwan,” says Mar. “I truly look forward to seeing the incredible work the chairs and their teams produce.”

The Chancellor’s Research Chair program is open to faculty from all disciplines at MacEwan and supports both research and creative activity.

“Scholarly excellence is a cornerstone of Teaching Greatness, and these appointments give our deserving faculty the opportunity and flexibility to further their important research and creative work while still spending time in the classroom,” says Dr. Craig Monk, provost and vice-president, Academic.

Tier 1 Chancellor’s Research Chairs receive a research grant of $30,000 and hold the appointment for three years. Tier 2 Chairs receive a research grant of $10,000 and hold the appointment for a two-year, non-renewable term.

“These chairs are leaders in their fields of expertise and have already shown scholarly excellence, leadership and dedication to training the next generation of highly qualified personnel,” says Dr. Craig Kuziemsky, associate vice-president, Research. “We know this program will help them take their scholarship to the next level to continue making meaningful impacts in their chosen fields.”

About the recipients

2026 Tier 1 Chancellor’s Research Chair recipients:

Dr. Sandy Jung, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science

As a full professor in the Department of Psychology, Dr. Sandy Jung teaches psychopathology, forensic psychology and clinical psychology, drawing on her experience as a forensic psychologist at a forensic outpatient clinic to give students a real-world perspective. Dr. Jung’s active research program, the Psychology Crime Lab (PCL@M), focuses on the prevention of sexual assault, child sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, particularly the assessment of risk for future perpetration of harm.

Dr. Fernando Ruiz-Angulo, Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy and Law, School of Business

As a full professor in the Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy & Law, Dr. Fernando Ruiz-Angulo teaches marketing research, marketing strategy, strategic management and international entrepreneurship. Dr. Ruiz-Angulo’s research focuses on the study of national and international hybrid organizations and their entrepreneurs, as well as the antecedents and consequences of organizational capabilities in domestic, international and other contexts, using multiple theoretical frameworks and employing diverse research methods.

2026 Tier 2 Chancellor’s Research Chair recipients:

Dr. Katie Biittner, Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science, Faculty of Arts and Science

As an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, Dr. Katie Biittner draws on more than 20 years of experience conducting archaeology in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Tanzania and digital environments to teach students using an “aggressively human” philosophy. Dr. Biittner’s current research program focuses on archaeogaming – the archaeology in and of videogames. Using tools from computer science and theoretical frameworks from archaeology and anthropology, her interdisciplinary team investigates the implementation of early videogames including their code, data and paratexts as well as the agents who developed, designed and coded the games we play.

Dr. Erin Cowling, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Arts and Science

As an associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Dr. Erin Cowling teaches within the Spanish language stream, focusing on Early Modern Spanish Theatre. She incorporates digital humanities activities to help students identify key themes and patterns that emerge through repetition and to explore how these ideas connect across texts – even those written more than 400 years ago. The University Faculty Scholarship Awards Adjudication Subcommittee was highly impressed with Dr. Cowling’s interdisciplinary research proposal to create a pilot escape-room model for teaching Early Modern Spanish Theatre.

Dr. Mohammed Elmorsy, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Arts and Science

As an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, Dr. Mohammed Elmorsy emphasizes hands-on learning that connects theory with practice by encouraging students to explore how advanced computing and artificial intelligence can be applied to solve real-world challenges and drive positive change. Dr. Elmorsy’s research focuses on making networks and connected devices more reliable, adaptive, and impactful. His work centres on wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things (IoT), with applications in areas such as smart agriculture, environmental monitoring and health care. He applies artificial intelligence and machine learning – including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and large language models (LLMs) – to improve decision-making, automate resource management and enhance the quality of information produced by sensor and IoT systems.

Dr. Emilie LeBel, Department of Music, Faculty of Arts and Communications

As an associate professor in the Department of Music, Dr. Emilie LeBel shares her expertise in orchestral music, chamber and concert music, and the creation of mixed works that employ digital technologies and intermedia concert practices through mentorship and supervision. Dr. LeBel’s proposal, which will feature collaborations with renowned artists and culminate in a professional premiere and recording in June 2028, was praised for its research-creation, innovation and community engagement, all of which align with Teaching Greatness: Strategic Vision 2030.

Dr. Etayankara (Murli) Muralidharan, Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy and Law, School of Business

As a full professor in the Department of International Business, Marketing, Strategy & Law, Dr. Etayankara (Murli) Muralidharan draws on more than two decades of experience working in various divisions of the Tata Group in India to teach students about the corporate world in the areas of international business, marketing, and corporate strategy. Dr. Muralidharan’s research interests include organizational crisis management, international entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and emerging market multinationals. The University Faculty Scholarship Awards Adjudication Subcommittee praised his proposal for its clear articulation of his research agenda, his industry-engaged research and his outstanding record of scholarly outputs.

Dr. Ross Shaw, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science

As an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Dr. Ross Shaw teaches a mixture of introductory and upper-level courses focusing on cellular biology and marine biology.  The University Faculty Scholarship Awards Adjudication Subcommittee praised his proposal for a multidisciplinary project that engages students from different disciplines to advance his educational game research on marine biology and coral reef conservation. This will be his second time leading a multidisciplinary team focused on work-integrated learning to develop an educational game, following the award-winning Life on the Edge.