New perspectives on AI, business sustainability: Meet the Asper School’s new faculty

What excites you about being on the Asper School of Business faculty? I am excited to join the Asper School faculty because of the people. Others in the faculty are leaders in the academic business space, especially when it comes to thinking about how business can serve communities and be a force for change to address major issues like climate change and reconciliation. 

What are your research interests? I come from a sustainability and community background, so my research interests revolve around how business relates to big issues like climate change, reconciliation, and inequality. 
I have a few major projects ongoing right now. One is about how to close a coal mine without shutting down the community that was built around it; business schools are great at teaching how to start a business, grow a business, and manage a business, but not so good at closing a business. 

Another cool project is about materials to remediate Alberta's oil sands tailings ponds: scientists and engineers at the University of Alberta are developing technologies to clean up oil sands. We ran an experiment to better understand whether and when using AI to pitch those products can help (or hurt) the support the scientist gets. 

In addition to all this, I am also a lifelong resident of Turtle Island and one stream of my work is inspired by my learning from Indigenous peoples and ways of knowing as I think about what it means to decolonize myself and my research.

From this stream, I've published work empirically demonstrating and learning from the different ways communities use (or reject) agreements with mining companies as they resurge. 

Do you have a favourite business-themed book? I love to read, but most of my books are fantasy or sci-fi and not business books. One kind-of business-related book I recently enjoyed was Emily St. John Mandel's The Glass Hotel (though I've enjoyed all her work). 

What are your hobbies? Again, I love to read, and I love being outside, whether it's skiing or hanging out at the beach. I also enjoy travelling and good food. I'm excited to check out all the beaches in Manitoba!
 

What excites you about being on the Asper School of Business faculty? I’m excited to have joined a strong and vibrant community. I’m happy to see an active life on campus, which includes many student-run clubs and associations. Manitoba is also an especially interesting place to research operations due to its diverse economy and important role as the centre of Canada.

What are your research interests? My research interests are primarily focused on the management of innovation and technology within operations. We are currently facing multiple technological disruptions simultaneously (e.g., sustainability tech, AI, automation), which makes this research stream quite dynamic.

Do you have a favourite business-themed tv show? I’m a big fan of The Office as a great example of what not to do as a manager. And just like the show, I have also worked for a medium-sized paper company early in my career.

Do you have a favourite hobby? I’m a big fan of cycling. I like it both as a physical activity and an alternative mode of transportation. I’m glad to see that Winnipeg continues to invest in new bike lanes!