This fall, MacEwan University will welcome new faculty members who will play key roles as the university prepares to make submissions for two new Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs.

Dr. Leanne Hedberg will join the School of Business as associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources Management and Management, and will also serve as the director of the university’s Social Innovation Institute. The Faculty of Arts and Science will welcome Dr. Marielle Papin as assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science. 

“By definition, Canada Research Chairs are trendsetters and trendbreakers,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor. “They are a high-profile rallying point that create centres of excellence with high impact in the community – showing how our expertise results in meaningful contributions to complex social, economic and environmental issues. And the appointments of Dr. Hedberg and Dr. Papin – alongside that of Dr. Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Issues – position MacEwan as a leader on a national and international level.”

Welcoming Dr. Leanne Hedberg

Dr. Hedberg’s research focuses on community-engaged scholarship and aims to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future by focusing on social innovation, social entrepreneurship, social movements and sustainability.

Along with academic expertise in developing and teaching a wide range of business courses, including management, organizational behaviour, human resources, sustainability and ethics, and small business management, Dr. Hedberg brings industry experience in both human resources and management to her new role. Before her most recent role as an organizational development consultant at NAIT, she was the chief operating officer and senior consultant at LivingHR, Incorporated.

Dr. Hedberg completed a PhD in Strategic Management and Organizations at the University of Alberta. 

“Dr. Hedberg brings a track record of success in fostering cross-sector community collaborations to her role at MacEwan,” says Dr. Craig Kuziemsky, interim dean, School of Business, and associate vice-president, Research. “Her proven ability to create a shared vision that resonates with and inspires multiple stakeholders will be a key factor in making the Social Innovation Institute a local and global leader in community-engaged social innovation.”  

“It’s clear to me that collaboration across sectors is critical in order for social innovation (of which social entrepreneurship is a part) to be successful,” says Dr. Hedberg. “It takes multiple perspectives and resources – sometimes referred to as "uncommon bedfellows" – to solve social and environmental issues like homelessness, inequity, food insecurity and environmental degradation.”

“With this appointment, I have the opportunity of supporting cross-sector collaboration in the social innovation space,” she continues. “As I think about engaging stakeholders, I'm eager to hear the hopes and dreams related to social innovation and social entrepreneurship and to meaningfully and impactfully serve both our students and faculty – and our larger Edmonton community – in creating a more socially just future.” 

Welcoming Dr. Marielle Papin

Dr. Papin’s scholarship currently focuses on the role of cities and other transnational actors in global climate governance. Her research interests include urban and global sustainability governance, cities, transnational municipal networks, innovation and diffusion of norms, interdisciplinary research and mixed methods.

Currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography at McGill University (Montreal), Dr. Papin completed her PhD in Political Science at Université Laval in 2020. 

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Papin to MacEwan,” says Dr. Melike Schalomon, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. “The vision for her role is that she will lead the creation of an institute or centre where researchers with interests in urban wellness can engage in collaborative research with each other and with the external community.” 

“I am thrilled to start this new position and participate in the university’s exemplary efforts to advance undergraduate learning and research,” says Dr. Papin. “I also look forward to launching an ambitious research program on urban wellness and collaborating with colleagues, students and community partners to gain a better understanding of the contemporary issues it encompasses – and foster change.”

More about Canada Research Chairs at MacEwan

The overall goal of the CRC program is to make Canada a global leader in research and development and training and talent development. Tier 2 Chairs are awarded to exceptional emerging researchers whose potential for leadership in their field is acknowledged by their peers. The chairs are awarded and funded for a five-year period and are renewable once. The Canada Research Chair Program is funded by the Government of Canada and is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Dr. Hedberg and Dr. Papin will both be nominated for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair: Dr. Hedberg for a chair in Social Entrepreneurship in Disadvantaged or Marginalized Communities in the School of Business and Dr. Papin for a chair in Urban Wellness (Urban Policy and Governance) in the Faculty of Arts and Science.  

On their arrival at MacEwan, Dr. Hedberg and Dr. Papin will begin preparing nominations for their respective Canada Research Chairs preparing their CRC nomination packages which will be submitted in the fall 2022 nomination cycle. 

“The work of both Dr. Papin and Dr. Hedberg will most certainly push us forward in pursuit of Teaching Greatness,” says Dr. Craig Monk, MacEwan’s provost and vice-president, Academic. “Not only are they exceptional teachers, their scholarship and research is innovative and focuses on wellness and building relationships on many levels, here at home in Ward O-day’min, in our city and in the world beyond.”