Students and Alumni

We accepted our first students in the late spring of 2000, and our first graduate was Dr. Elizabeth S. Kelley in May 2005. At any given time, there are generally 25-35 active students in the program. Our student body is about 60:40 women to men; about one-third of our students come from outside Nova Scotia, and about ten percent from outside Canada, with countries of origin including Germany, Georgia, South Africa, and the U.S.A. The average age is around 38.

Some of our students have followed a traditional higher education route. Still, many have extensive professional experience, including small business ownership, consulting, military experience, political and governmental leadership, and college/university teaching. Entering students typically have Master's degrees from any range of subject areas, including Adult Education, Behavior in Organizations, Business Administration, Industrial Psychology, Industrial Relations, International Development Studies, Psychology, and other related areas.  


 

 

Leila A. Jamjoom

2015-2020

Successfully defended May 2020

University of Business and Technology; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Master of Business AdministrationDar Al-Hekma University; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance   

Research Interests:

My research interests include gender and diversity in organization studies, leadership, and human resource management in Non-Western contexts. My dissertation investigated the narratives of Saudi women leaders in the workplace, in an effort to surface alternative knowledge(s) and deconstruct the academic imperialism of Management Organization Studies (MOS).   

What has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

The PhD program has encouraged me to participate in a number of national and international conferences (e.g., Administrative Sciences Association of Canada ASAC, Philosophy of Management Conference, and the International Critical Management Conference). These opportunities allowed me to not only engage with my own work at a deeper level, but to also become involved in other researcher’s work. By doing so, I became a better reviewer and writer, and was also exposed to research from various paradigms of thought.  


 

  

Blake Kanewicher

2018-Current

Research Interests:

Ethics in AI, management education, and LGBTQ+ issues in management

What has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

The Sobey PhD program has helped me see beyond—it’s not limited to positivist, quantitative research, and the professors will support your presentations and publications. The expectation is that you will transform during the program, new research interests will emerge, and you will take your place alongside your colleagues. Ethics of AI, management education, and LGBTQ+ issues in management 


 

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Soheil Ahmadi

2019-Current

Mechanical Engineering- Sahid Rajee University, MBA-University of Tehran

Research Interests:

Informal economy in sub-Saharan Africa’s context, the informal firms’ formalization decision and its determinants, as well as measuring informal firms’ performance and its determinants are among the topics that I am researching. Meanwhile, the financial sustainability of social enterprises and the paradox between their social and economic objectives, as well as the social impact measurement and social enterprise governance is another research pipeline that I am investing my time in it. 

What has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

Saint Mary’s University Ph.D. in Management program has been an extraordinary learning opportunity for me. The outstanding, supportive, and lovely faculty members provide Ph.D. students with the best possible training, which well prepares them to conduct quality research.  


 

  

Shelley T. Price

2013-2020

Successfully defended September 2020

Research Interests:

Indigenous storytelling leadership; Inuit traditional knowledge; Anti-discrimination, anti-oppression, anti-exploitation; Nurturing safe(r), healthier, diverse, sustainable spaces; Ways of being, doing, knowing, and relating  

What has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

The multi-paradigmatic program offered me the flexibility to explore wisdoms from within my own cultural traditions and my own healing journey.  I was blessed to have a compassionate and wise dissertation supervisor and dissertation committee who not only respect my attempt to employ decolonized research approaches, but who have also offered constructive critique to inspire my long loving deeply contemplative learning journey. 


 

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Nicholous M. Deal

2016-Current

Bachelor of Theology (Northeast Christian College), BBA (Mount Saint Vincent University), MBA/PhD (Saint Mary's University). 

Research Interests:

Management and organizational history; actor-network theory; critical historiography; historiography; gender, diversity, and inclusion; history of management education.  

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?  

What attracted me to the Sobey PhD was its sterling international reputation of promoting an inclusive pedagogical philosophy, exposing students to paradigmatic pluralism. Through an intimate setting of small cohorts and mutual respect, I was able to stretch the limits of my thinking beyond mainstream traditions and discover the value of alternative approaches to research. 

I was drawn to the PhD program because it both encourages and promotes multiple philosophical views of the sources of knowledge, the means of discovery and the modes of sharing. I also appreciated the small, international cohorts, which allowed us as students to talk and thoroughly debate scholarship from a variety of vantage points and with an appreciation for differing worldviews. I have had mentors who have been encouraging and have allowed me to pursue my own research agenda and interests. I have been impressed with how well our PhD program is appreciated in an international environment. This has opened doors for me to attend conferences, publish papers and book chapters, and even earn top scholarly awards.  


 

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Randy Delorey

2009-Current

Francis Xavier University, Université de Moncton

Research interests:

Privacy Management, Organization Culture, Organization Climate, Generations in the Workforce, Evidence Based Decision Making  

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?  

The equitable exposure to qualitative and quantitative research methods. 


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René Arseneault

2016-Current

Research interests:

Cross-cultural personality differences, cross-cultural recruitment and selection, cross-cultural impression management, organizational behavior, industrial organizational psychology, the dark triad.  

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?   

The biggest asset of the program for me has been its broad interdisciplinary nature. This asset has enabled me to combine both my Psychology and Business interests in my research and thesis. It also creates an opportunity to collaborate on various projects with other students in the program and across departments.  


 

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Nicole Morris

2013-Current

Siena College, BSBA in Accounting. Marist University, MBA  

Research interests: 

Certified B Corporations, small-to-medium sized businesses and sustainability practices, Appreciative Inquiry.    

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?   

The structured face-to-face coursework was the strongest asset of the program.  It fostered strong faculty relationships and due to the small cohort size, students were able to engage deeply in critical thinking and demonstrate personal accountability.


 

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Ellen C. Shaffner

2016-Current

Dalhousie University; Bachelor of Arts, with Honours, Saint Mary’s University; Masters in Business  

Research interests:

Intersectionality, organizational history, organizational behaviour, diversity and discrimination. My dissertation topic is centered on fusing intersectionality and an amodern approach to the past as a novel methodology for historical organizational studies.   

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

The biggest asset of the program for me has been the international reputation of the Sobey PhD among critical management scholars. This network has been invaluable. The support and mentorship of program alumni has also been a very positive part of my PhD experience.   


 

 

Tianyuan Yu

2015-Currrent

Research interests: 

Tianyuan’s research interests include management spirituality and religion, gender and diversity in organizations, management and organizational history, management education and pedagogy, cross-cultural management, and multi-paradigm research methodology. She is currently engaged in a research project on how the wisdom-enhancing teaching practice in North American Zen centers informs management education and androgynous leadership.

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you? 

A multi-paradigm research orientation that distinguishes Sobey PhD from ordinary mainstream PhD programs, and a meaningful connection with my amazing supervisor & cohort members.


Kerry Hendricks

2017-Current

University of the West Indies (Mona) - BSc, Rutgers Graduate School of Management - MBA, CPA (Maryland DLLR)


Ian Kamp

2018-Current

Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University (and Dalhousie Agricultural Campus)

Research interests:

This can be quite broad as it is your self stated interests and not necessarily what you are currently working on or writing your dissertation topic on. If this has been decided, it should be included. Strategy, Strategy-as-Practice, Top Management Teams, Behavioural Integration, Institutional Theory, strategic change, resistance to change, and Power & Politics. 


Aisha Leon

2018-Current

The University of London- Institute of Education- MA, The University of Windsor- Bed, York University- BA

Research Interests:

Social Innovation, Gender and Entrepreneurship, Education


Pham My Hanh

2016-Current

Research interests:

leadership, social entrepreneurship, gender and postcolonial studies. 

What Has been the biggest asset of the program for you?

The program helps me to broaden my horizons, build up a critical lens in research, and explore the world differently beyond the mainstream tradition.  


 Students by year: 

 

2018

Ian Kamp
Blake Kanewischer
Aisha Leon
Mark MacIsaac 

2019

 

Soheil Ahmadi
Abdimutaleb Boshanna
Karyne Gelinas 
 

2020

Chiedza Chigumba
Robert McNutt
David Wakeland  

2015 

Liela Jamjoom
Corey Sigvaldason
Kristin Williams
Tianyuan (Cathy) Yu

2016 

Rene Arseneault
Nicholous Deal
Mary Beth Doucette
Olakunle Fakiyesi
Ellen Shaffner

2017 

Pham My Hanh
Kerry Hendricks
Mike Melenchuk
Tasha Richard

2012 

Kristene Coller
Rhonda Dever
Ken Hudson
Ryan MacNeil
Corinne McNally
Dr. Danielle Mercer
2013 

Caterina Bettin
Kothai Kumanan
Nicole Morris
Shelley Price
Wes Sallenback
2014 

Dr. Cara Lynn Scheuer
Annika Voltan
Nina Winham
2009 

Randy Delorey
Dr. Kim Myrick
Karen K. Stone
Dr. Heidi Weigand
2010  

Dr. Larry Corrigan
Dr. Cathy Fitzgerald
Merle Fuller
Birgit Pfeiffer
Ikiene Sentime
Dr. Shannon Webb
2011 

Dr. Jason Foster
Dr. Isabella Krysa
John McNamara
Rob Murray
Dr. Mariana Paludi
Michelle Thomason
Trung Le Kien
2006 

Dr. Shelagh Campbell
Dr. Trish McLaren
Dr. William Murray
Rhonda Pyper
Dr. Adam Rostis
2007 

Dr. Salvador Barragan
Dr. Arlene Haddon
Angela Hope
Dr. Doreen MacAulay
Dr. Donna Parsons
2008

Dr. Marcelle Allen
Dr. Chris Hartt
David Iremadze
Dr. Susan Myrden
Dr. Kathy Sanderson 
2003 

Dr. Ellen Rudderham-Gaudet
Dr. Jim Grant
Dr. Margaret McKee
Dr. Amy Thurlow
Dr. Peggy Wallace
2004
Dr.Connie Bygrave
Dr. Wendy Carroll
Alan Fraser
Kerriann Henneberry
Clare Keating
Jason Lecoure
Dr. Bally Thun
Dr. Amy Warren
2005 

Dr. Janet Bell Crawford
Dr. Gabie Durepos
Dr. Brad Long
Dr. Elizabeth McLeod
Kakha Shengelia
Dr. Anthony R. Yue
2000  

Dr. Ramon Baltazar
Dov Bercovici
Jules Fauteau
Dr. Gina Grandy
Dr. Elizabeth Kelley
Caroline O'Connell
2001 

Dr. Angela Bissonnette
Dr. Manon LeBlanc
Dr. Leroy Lowe
Greg Marshall
Dr. Jane Mullen
Dr. Mary Runte
2002 

Dr. Kelly Dye
Dr. Scott MacMillan
Dr. Natalie Vladi
Dr. Terrance Weatherbee

 


As part of the professional development aspect of the program, students in the Sobey Ph.D. are actively encouraged to develop and submit articles to academic conferences and peer-reviewed publication. Conferences that students have presented at include:  

Upon completion of the program, our doctoral students typically have an impressive collection of work already published or presented under their name.  

 

 

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