Research chairs

Dr. Scott Ketcheson, Faculty of Science and Technology

Canada Research Chair in Hydrological Sustainability

As a field hydrologist, Dr. Ketcheson studies the movement of water between forests, wetlands, and streams in northern Alberta. His research program uses both traditional hydrological techniques and innovative sensor networks to gain a direct process-based understanding of the hydrological function and importance of headwater catchments for generating freshwater in tributary river networks within the Athabasca River Basin. Additional information on Dr. Ketcheson's hydrology research can be found on his website: AU Hydrology.

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Dr. Terra Manca, Faculty of Health Disciplines 

Canada Research Chair in Regulation, Social Governance, and Inequities in Health

The COVID-19 pandemic raised many questions about what happens when gender and cultural norms intersect with regulations and the development of public health information about vaccines, infectious diseases and health risks. For example, many pandemic responses lacked consideration for pregnancy and for pregnant women’s need to receive and give care.

As Canada Research Chair in Regulation, Social Governance, and Inequities in Health, Dr. Terra Manca is studying vaccination in pregnancy, vaccine uptake, and health governance. She and her research team aim to demonstrate how regulatory governance and policy can interact to (re)produce social inequities. They are also exploring how gender and intersecting social locations (race, class, age and more) shape health governance, including vaccination. Finally, they are advancing ideas about how efforts to contain infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, often transfer the responsibility for mitigating health risks and providing care to individuals. Ultimately, their work will inform policy recommendations to improve health and reduce inequities.

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Dr. Mickey Vallee, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Sound Studies

Dr. Vallee's interdisciplinary research focuses on innovation in sound-based technologies and how new local and global research communities can be built around these innovations. By building an understanding of the personal and collective experiences that people have with emerging sound technologies, Vallee will investigate how the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities engage with technological innovation.

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Dr. Angela Workman-Stark, Faculty of Business

Canada Research Chair in Rights-Based Organizational Development

Even though human rights legislation prohibits discrimination, discriminatory practices persist, particularly in public safety organizations. And they are not limited to the internal environment—reports depict examples of persons denied justice or access to services based on gender, sexuality or race, for example. Not only are the costs significant for individuals and organizations, but the failure of authority figures to protect the rights of the citizens they serve strikes at the heart of a democratic society.

As Canada Research Chair in Rights-Based Organizational Development, Dr. Angela Workman-Stark is examining these issues through a human rights lens. She and her research team are developing a framework that incorporates the systems and practices needed to preserve and promote human rights in organizations that are prone to discriminatory practices. They aim to understand how and why human rights violations persist in public safety organizations and to identify the critical levers that support human rights, justice and inclusion.

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