Student & alumni profiles

Credentials

Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Studies, Sao Judas Tadeu University; Master of Arts in Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador

Contact

bbrito@uvic.ca 

Biography

Before joining the PhD program, Bruna conducted research on the sustainability of rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador during her master's studies. She participated in a multidisciplinary research project at the Ocean Frontier Institute, investigating the role of social enterprises in community regeneration and resilience. This work fuelled her interest in researching organizations that promote alternative approaches to development, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices in management literature. Bruna’s current project examines the role of collective memory in fostering community resilience. She’s also interested in understanding how marginalized communities, particularly those in the Global South, navigate and resist negative social evaluations such as stigma.

Research interests

• social and community enterprises
• marginalized communities
• social evaluations
• social change
• collective memory

Cohort

2022

Credentials

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy, Queen’s University; Master of Arts in Political Science, University of Toronto; Master of Business Administration, Sustainable Innovation, University of Victoria

Contact

lorinbusaan@uvic.ca

Biography

With a 20-year career in the public and private sectors, Lorin possesses a diverse skill set. He has been involved in the development and implementation of large-scale energy, environment and economic policy. He also has experience in government relations consulting in the private sector, and has owned and operated a successful small business.

Research interests

• the impact of broad-based employee ownership on economic, environmental and social outcomes

• deliberative democratic theory and practice in employee participation and governance

Cohort

2022

Credentials

Bachelor of Business Administration, METU; Master of Business Administration, Michigan State University

Contact

sadikoraydemircan@uvic.ca

Biography

Before embarking on his PhD journey, Koray amassed valuable experience in international trade and diplomacy. He worked at the Undersecretariat for the Foreign Trade of Turkey, where he played a key role in drafting and negotiating trade agreements and held diplomatic posts in Africa. His extensive international exposure across five countries has provided him with a deep understanding of how the global context impacts businesses and individuals.

Research interests

• the strategy field, particularly in international business, entrepreneurship and sustainability
• the sustainability practices of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs)
• immigrant entrepreneurship and its impact
• entrepreneurial cognition
• managerial cognition

Cohort

2018

Credentials

Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, RV College of Engineering; Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Indian Institute of Management Indore

Contact

erajhassan@uvic.ca

Biography

Before enrolling in the PhD program, Eraj spent three years in the Indian social sector, creating data solutions for multilateral organizations, governments and non-governmental organizations to enhance program planning and monitoring. He concluded this experience as a data lead at a prominent private philanthropy, following the start of his career in credit card data analytics at a multinational bank.

Research interests

• organizational social evaluations, in particular, authenticity and legitimacy
• social media and its effects on organizations and institutions

Cohort

2020

Credentials

Bachelor in Architecture Engineering, University of Mazandaran; Master of Science in Project Management and Construction, University of Tehran; Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI)

Contact

sanazmatinkoosha@uvic.ca

Biography

Sanaz transitioned from a practitioner role as a project coordinator in the oil and gas, and building industries to academia. Her master's thesis explored various types of project management offices within the Iranian construction industry, addressing implementation challenges using organizational theories, published in the International Journal of Project Management. Upon joining Gustavson, her research trajectory evolved towards organizational behaviour, exploring individuals' journey towards achieving a more meaningful work-life.

Research interests

• individual sustainability and maintaining optimal work-life balance
• employee well-being and work meaningfulness
• improving employee engagement and retention 
• dynamic perspective to meaningful work and the career transition of international skilled migrants to Canada
• immigrant work integration
• debiasing recruitment of immigrants in Canada

Cohort

2018

Credentials

Bachelor in Supply Chain Management, University of Houston; Bachelor in Public Relations, University of Houston; Master of Science in Management Science, University of Texas at Dallas; Master of Business Administration, University of Texas at Dallas

Contact

aminatmuibi@uvic.ca

Biography

During her dual masters program, Aminat honed her research skills through a vendor management internship in the ecommerce sector, which equipped her with critical thinking, problem-solving and forecasting capabilities. Prior to this, she contributed to the healthcare industry as a value analysis intern in a hospital's supply chain department, dedicated to optimizing supply chains to support the hospital's mission.

Research interests

• stigmatized organizations and identities
• the evolution of culture at the boundaries of organizations
• the impact of cultural differences on factors such as organization survival and competitiveness

Cohort

2020

Credentials

Bachelor in Business Administration, Foreign Trade University; Master of Science in International Business, University of Turku

Contact

macnguyen@uvic.ca

Biography

Before entering the PhD program, Mac Nguyen gained several years of experience in the private sector. During this time, he played different roles such as supervisor, assistant director, and most recently, entrepreneur and speaker in the areas of business development, external relations and multicultural communication. Mac’s research seeks to understand how organizations develop and stay relevant within their particular contexts while balancing conflicting demands and/or tensions.

Research interests

• corporate patriotism
• institutions and social-symbolic resources
• temporality
• innovation
• regenerative sustainability
• emerging market contexts

Cohort

2020

Credentials

Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering – Industrial Technology, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology; Master of Science in Technology Management – Technological Innovation, University of Tehran

Contact

ppourasgari@uvic.ca

Biography

Before entering the PhD program, Pedram worked as a researcher in a variety of industries and a consultant with private businesses. His master's thesis explored innovation ambidexterity and he co-authored two books on circular economy and corporate venturing. He gained additional experience by studying entrepreneurial activities in coastal communities in Canada.

Research interests

• entrepreneurial ecosystems
• business and community engagement
• community-driven innovation and social change
• social and community-based entrepreneurship

Cohort

2022

Credentials

Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce, M.L. Sukhadia University; Master of Business Administration, Pennsylvania State University

Contact

amits@uvic.ca

Biography

Before joining the PhD program, Amit was a social entrepreneur, leading 'Earthen Colors' in promoting sustainable fashion through traditional handwoven fabrics in India. His prior experience included roles in large corporations in the United States and India, encompassing business strategy, corporate finance, business development, pricing strategy, financial modeling and analytics.

Research interests

• social value judgments in organizations focusing on the social construction of authenticity and legitimacy
• scaling challenges faced by organizations, specifically the creative craft industry and specialty businesses
• role of social entrepreneurs as an agent of change in overcoming grand challenges
• intersection of entrepreneurship, sustainability and social wealth creation
• identifying opportunities for creating social value in business operations
• practical implications of academic research in addressing real-life business problems

Cohort

2022

Credentials

Bachelor in Science in Auditing, Nanjing Audit University; Master in Science in Banking and Finance, King’s College

Contact

xintan@uvic.ca

Biography

Xin has a strong background in mathematics and physics, having won several first or second prizes in national and regional competitions. She is also an affiliate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Prior to her academic pursuits, Xin gained practical experience as an intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Shanghai, where she provided audit services to a diverse range of clients. Her paper has won the Best Student Paper award for the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC).

Research interests

• strategic management
• soft performance metrics

Cohort

2020

Credentials

Bachelor of Economics, Beijing Normal University; Master of Management, Peking University

Contact

weiweiyang@uvic.ca

Biography

Weiwei's career started as a research assistant at Peking University, focusing on labour economics and human resources management. She worked on research projects related to air pollution's effects on worker health and housing affordability for migrants. Additionally, Weiwei gained insight into the banking industry during a brief stint at a commercial bank.

Research interests

• human resources and labour relations
• labour economics
• migrant worker issues
• child development

Cohort

2020

Credentials

Bachelor of Arts in Translation, Nankai University; Master of Science in Hospitality Management, Temple University; Master of Science in Nonprofit Management, Columbia University

Contact

jialinz@uvic.ca

Biography

Before joining Gustavson School of Business, Jialin sharpened her research skills through dual master's degrees in hospitality and nonprofit management. Her work spans strategic marketing, cross-sector collaborations, social sustainability, ESG performance and data analytics, as demonstrated by her published article and consulting projects. Jialin used to intern at the American Red Cross – Greater New York Region for one year in fundraising events and DEI initiatives.

Research interests

• sustainable tourism
• organizational sustainability
• ESG performance
• social and community enterprises
• business and community collaboration
• sustainable marketing

Cohort

2024

Current position:

Assistant Professor in Business & Society, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University 

Academic background:

Bachelor in Business Administration, Camosun College; MBA, Queens University 

Graduation year:

2024 

Why did you want to get your PhD?

During my MBA, I found it difficult to apply mainstream frameworks and theories in my daily work within an Indigenous community-based organization. During my business-school education, I saw no Indigenous representation within classroom content, the student body or the faculty, so I wanted to contribute to changing this through my PhD! Specifically, I wanted to include Indigenous perspectives and contexts within my teaching, support other Indigenous students and conduct research from an Indigenous perspective. 

Describe your research focus

My research adopts an Indigenous management perspective to study strategic management and business ethics. Specifically, I study Indigenous community stakeholder value capture, Indigenous communities within the academy and Indigenizing the business school. My PhD dissertation explores how value is distributed and captured among a firm’s many stakeholders/rightsholders, with Indigenous communities being my primary focus. 

Most prominent influences while doing the program

I think the PhD students from earlier cohorts, and my own cohort had a significant role in influencing my work. For example, more senior PhD students helped me set up effective (and realistic) time-management techniques, gave me a sense that success was possible and helped guide my own research journey. I was also fortunate to have a strong cohort of 3 other students. We have always been supportive, developmental and encouraging of each other, which has motivated me to grow and develop my own research skills. 

Gustavson also has a lot of undercover academic celebrities who are also amazing human beings! Collectively, my professors, supervisor and mentors have encouraged me to reconsider the meaning of success within academia. Specifically, I saw academics that cared about the real-life implications of their work, worked tirelessly to support and engage their students, and recognized the value in self-care and work-life balance. It is these experiences that have significantly shaped how I view my work and career within the academy. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned from doing your PhD?

I think I learned a lot about myself and the person I want to be. The PhD journey is a challenging journey with multiple detours. It was these challenges that made me re-evaluate what I considered as ‘academic success’, and the academic I aspired to be. It reinforced the importance of my connection to community and family – and that these relationships give meaning to my research. I also learned to be comfortable within my own research identity – it's easy to feel like you aren’t smart enough, or don’t belong in these institutions, so developing a balance between confidence and humility has allowed me to craft a space where I belong. Lastly, I’ve quickly learned that I enjoy academia so much more when I have great friends and colleagues to work with, so I’ve surrounded myself with wonderful people who challenge and support me! 

Your advice to prospective students

It can be really difficult to hear the shortcomings of our work, so students must be able to separate the technical feedback they receive from their emotional responses to that feedback. When we become afraid of criticism, we tend to not share our ideas which then limits the pace we can improve and develop our work. A wonderful (and successful) colleague compared academics to entrepreneurs, in that we try to develop and market ideas. Therefore, we should try to test the market early with our new ideas and use that feedback/criticism as a way to improve our work.

Current position:

Assistant Professor of Organization Theory, the Smeal College of Business, Penn State University

Academic background:

Bachelor of Arts, History, Utah State University, USA; Master of Arts, History, Miami University, USA

Graduation year:

2023 

Why did you want to get your PhD?

I have always wanted to have a career that involves research. My original plan was to become a historian. But over time I fell in love with the phenomenon of organization—what brings people together to pursue bigger things that they believe are important. I wanted to find ways to explain how people come together to make things that last. 

Describe your research focus

Most new firms last less than 6 years. Public corporations that used to last an average of 60 years now have an expected lifespan of less than 20 years. We need to cultivate theories that can help the rising generation of strategic managers to think institutionally about how to build things that last.

I believe that my research agenda can help with this. I study the strategic and entrepreneurial behaviours of enduring organizations. I use a long-term, historical approach to understand the relationship between entrepreneurial action and the institutional strength and resilience of these broader communities. I focus on empirical settings such as intergenerational entrepreneurial families, children’s hospitals, state-owned corporations, religious organizations and iconic corporations. 

Most prominent influences while doing the program

The Gustavson School of Business invests very heavily in its PhD students. This means that you work closely with several faculty. For me, that was my supervisor Roy Suddaby.  

What contributed most to your learning?

Doing a PhD is sort of like entering the world of professional sports. You have to compete for publication at a very, very high level. Journals receive hundreds of manuscripts each year and publish well below 10 per cent of these. For this reason, it is enormously helpful to work with experienced scholars who know what it takes to succeed in this process. Your time in the PhD program is your chance to develop an intellectual foundation that can help you to succeed over the long term. For me being involved in collaborative research experiences was enormously helpful. 

Something unique or unexpected that you experienced in your journey here

I was surprised by the amount of developmental feedback and positive encouragement that I received from faculty here. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned from doing your PhD?

Serious writing is an extended process. You climb to the top of the mountain to get your ideas on paper only to realize that there is a whole mountain range still waiting in front of you that you have to traverse to get where you want to be. What an audience sees in a published manuscript really is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the amount of revision and editing and deep cognitive work involved to get a manuscript to a high quality. 

Your advice to prospective students

You can’t optimize your time for high quality research in isolation. You can waste years by not getting high quality feedback on what you’re working on. Research is a social process. Solicit feedback early and often. Shop ideas around. Truly listen to what other people say about them and be willing to adapt. Spend time truly observing what it is you’re studying in its natural habitat. 

Sum up your experience at Gustavson in one word

Collegiality. To me collegiality is about having a sense of mutual respect or reciprocity toward the people you are working with. This has been an important characteristic of my experience at Gustavson. My research and teaching has been sustained by interaction with truly generous and kind people—who treat one another holistically as people first. Roles like student, educator, administrator, etc. come second.

Current position:

Assistant Professor in Strategy and Organizations at the Smith School of Business at Queens University, Canada

Academic background:

Bachelor in Anthropology, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Peru; Master of Arts in Development Studies, Erasmus Rotterdam University, The Netherlands

Graduation year:

2023 

Why did you want to get your PhD?

I have always been a curious person interested in studying and doing research. I wasn’t sure about pursuing an academic career at first—I have worked in the private and public sectors for many years. While I loved my job, I wanted to dedicate time to investigating the things I was observing and experiencing. I had the chance of doing that for my master’s and I loved the process (and the challenges). Since then, I was looking for the chance to go back to the books, gather and analyze data, and write about my findings. I finally got the opportunity to do it at Gustavson and I have been enjoying the journey ever since. 

Why did you choose Gustavson?

People and culture. When I was looking for a program and institution, I had my mind set on a specific set of issues I wanted to do research about—I had a passion for sustainability and social issues in management. My search for a program started by looking at faculty members’ bios and publication records from different universities. 

To me, it was important to find a person (or group of people) that understood and valued what I was trying to do. I had the great chance to meet Matt Murphy, whose research and teaching overlapped with my own areas of interest. I learned a lot about UVic and Gustavson through him. I learned that the school cared about sustainability and social issues, that the culture of the school was one of collaboration, and that its faculty was committed to conducting research that mattered. I felt there was a great fit and decided to apply. 

Describe your research focus

My main interest is in how businesses create value and what kind of value they create (or destroy). We live in societies that are plural and diverse, in which value is defined differently by different people. Therefore, my interest is in understanding how the business landscape is changing to accommodate different perspectives (e.g., sustainability issues, social and environmental concerns, etc.), and how businesses are responding to this changing landscape. 

What contributed most to your learning?

It has been a journey full of surprises. Being from Peru, I had limited knowledge about the North American academic world. I learned a lot from talking to people, sharing my work, coauthoring papers and attending conferences. In the end, this is a long and tough journey. If you want to enjoy it, you need to build community and do research about things you care about. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned from doing your PhD?

Community. This can be a long and lonely journey. Care for others and ask for help when you need it. 

Your advice to prospective students

Realize that this is a marathon: give yourself time to explore. Do research about things that you love: this give will you the energy you need to persist. Take care of your relationships: your success depends on people. Respect and listen to divergent ideas, theories, methods and interests: this is a great source of inspiration. Ensure that there is a good fit between you and the school: this is going to be your new home for the next 5+ years. 

Sum up your experience at Gustavson

Journey of self-discovery. To me, the experience of doing my PhD at Gustavson has been one of developing my scholarly identity—who I am and who I want to become.

Current position:

Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Newcastle University Business School, U.K.

Academic background:

Bachelor in Commerce, University of Delhi, India; Master in Management, IE Business School, Spain.

Graduation year:

2020 

Why did you want to get your PhD?

I have always been interested in research and teaching and a PhD is the gateway to the world of academia. 

Why did you choose Gustavson?

Two reasons: culture and research interests. 

I knew I wanted to be a qualitative researcher and I could see quite a few qualitative researchers on Gustavson’s website. 

Second, I emailed faculty at various institutions when I was considering my options. Gustavson was one of the few schools where almost everyone replied even if they were not interested in supervising a PhD student. They took the time to guide me to the person who could be a better fit. And almost everyone responded with some useful readings and suggestions related to my field of interest (although my research interests shifted during the course of my PhD). 

Describe your research focus

My research primarily focuses on areas related to language diversity within the domain of international management. I am passionate about helping organizations recognize and comprehend the strengths of diversity, particularly in emerging economies and my research aims to improve the way individuals and organizations cope with diversity, specifically language and gender diversity.  My PhD dissertation at Gustavson explored the relationship between within-headquarter linguistic diversity, social identity-based clusters and the implementation of on-the-job training programs. 

Most prominent influences while doing the program

So many people! My supervisor, Wade Danis, played a key role in my development. He was excellent at providing feedback and encouraged me to maintain a work-life balance. 

Liana Victorino was my teaching mentor and she has played a very important role in my development as a teacher. Her passion for teaching and empathy really changed how I view teaching and relationship with students.  

So many others such as Stacey Fitzsimmons, Ravee Chittoor, A.R. Elangovan, Ricardo Flores and our PhD Program Manager Wendy Mah played a key role in my journey. 

Something unique or unexpected that you experienced in your journey here

Learning to deal with criticisms from anonymous reviewers and rejections from journals. Peer review is a core element of publication process and learning to not get disheartened and using constructive criticism to better the research is a contributor to growth as a scholar. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned from doing your PhD?

The importance of time management, discipline and patience. Writing a research project can take a long period of time, so focusing on the end goal and not giving up is essential. I also think the PhD process really helped me grow as a person. I am a diversity scholar and reading the existing academic literature and conversing with research participants and getting a glimpse of their experiences was surreal. 

Your advice to prospective students

Don’t shy away from asking for help. A PhD is a difficult and long journey but everyone involved with the PhD Program is extremely helpful, so learn from their experiences! 

And don’t forget to take a break and relax. Victoria is a beautiful city, please take out some time to explore the city and Vancouver Island.

Here is a list of our PhD alumni from the Gill Graduate School at the University of Victoria. Our program launched in 2010 with the first graduate in 2016.

• Dr. Emily Salmon, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University (2024)
• Dr. Carlo Brighi (2023)
• Dr. Juan Francisco Chavez Ramirez, Smith School of Business, Queens University (2023)
• Dr. Trevor Israelsen, Smeal College of Business, Penn State University (2023)
• Dr. Ye He, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick (2023)
• Dr. Komal Kalra, Newcastle University Business School (2020)
• Dr. Michael Silla (2020)
• Dr. Shazia Karmali (2020)
• Dr. Saeed Rahman, School of Business, University of the Fraser Valley (2019)
• Dr. Anirban Kar, School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University (2018)
• Dr. Helena Zhu (2018)
• Dr. Mike Syzmanski, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2017)
• Dr. Sarah Easter, College of Business Administration, Abilene Christian University (2016)