Toronto Metropolitan University will be closed from the end of the day on December 20, 2024 to January 5, 2025 (inclusive). Program staff will respond to inquiries upon their return on January 6.
During the closure, applicants who have started their application process can continue uploading documents. New applicants can complete the first part of their application (external link, opens in new window) but will only receive an email with follow-up instructions to upload their documents until the university reopens in January.
Our Students
Fall 2024 Cohort
We are thrilled to introduce you to our Fall 2024 cohort of Ted Rogers PhD in Management students.
Mohammad Behroyan
Specialization: Finance
Supervisors: Dr. Laleh Samarbakhsh and Dr. Aoran Zhang
Mohammad's academic background in Computer Science laid the foundation for his interest in finance. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Finance and Master of Science in Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). During his time at TMU, Mohammad received several academic awards, including the Catherine Lund Award, Martha G. Billes Award, and Ted Rogers School Graduate Entrance Award. He also contributed to the university community as a Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant for eight years, teaching statistics and finance courses. Outside academia, Mohammad has experience as a co-founder and senior manager of multiple startups in marketing, digital marketing, and industrial manufacturing. Currently, Mohammad is pursuing his PhD in Management at TMU, exploring research interests in corporate finance, corporate social responsibility, and mergers and acquisitions.
Alexis Illes, MScM
Specialization: HR Management & Organized Behaviour
Supervisors: Dr. Karen Peesker and Dr. Ellen Choi
Alexis is an incoming PhD student to Ted Rogers School of Management’s PhD in Management program. Her research interests, under the guidance of Dr. Karen Peesker and Dr. Ellen Choi, focuses on leadership resilience and flourishing. She has been awarded the Toronto Metropolitan Graduate Fellowship (TMGF) and the Ted Rogers School of Management Dean Awards/Scholarships upon her acceptance to the program.
Alexis is also a recent graduate of the Master of Science in Management (MScM) program at the Ted Rogers School of Management, under the guidance of Dr. Mahdi Roghanizad, where she researched deception detection in computer-mediated communication. During her time in the MScM program, she was awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Ted Rogers Graduate Entrance Scholarship. She has had submissions accepted for presentation at both the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada and Academy of Management conferences.
Haozhi Li
haozhi.li@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Organizational Behavior & Behavioral/Experimental Economics
Supervisor: Dr. Fei Song
Haozhi Li is a first-year PhD student at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University. Prior to joining the Ted Rogers School of Management, Haozhi earned a Master of Science in Management from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Master of Management and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics from York University. Haozhi’s research interests include leadership, abusive supervision, and social comparison. Currently working under the supervision of Dr. Fei Song, Haozhi has shown a strong interest in using field experiments to address real-world problems.
Haozhi worked in the finance industry for several years in China. In addition to his role within the organization, he dedicated himself to his family business in his hometown, Xi'an. Haozhi’s professional experience has provided him with a deep understanding of contemporary Chinese business operations and has significantly inspired his research directions.
Nour Mousa
n1mousa@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor: Farid Shirazi
Nour is a PhD student at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University, where she previously completed her Bachelor of Commerce in Business Technology Management and her Master of Science in IT Management. She has been awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship for both her Master’s and PhD studies. Her Master’s thesis, titled “The Question of Privacy in the Quantum Era: A Systematic Literature Review on Privacy by Design, Differential Privacy & Privacy Engineering Frameworks Using NLP Techniques” is an academic contribution towards further developing the emerging research area of quantum computing and privacy. Nour is also the first author of a publication co-authored with her supervisor, Dr. Farid Shirazi, in Wiley’s Security and Privacy Journal, titled “A Survey Analysis of Quantum Computing Adoption and the Paradigm of Privacy Engineering.” Nour’s primary research interests focus on analyzing emerging technologies—including quantum computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence—and their implications from an information security and privacy perspective.
In industry, Nour works as an information security consultant at one of the big 5 banks in Canada. She is a member of the CFDIR (Canadian Forum for Digital Infrastructure Resilience) quantum strategy working group, a voluntary, consensus-based and action-oriented public-private collaboration formed to enhance the resilience of the Canadian critical digital infrastructure, resulting in a trusted digital economy for Canadians and a thriving cyber security industry. Nour is passionate about bridging the gaps between industry, academia, and the public sector in order to maintain the security and privacy of users when implementing emerging technologies.
Artemio Rimando
Specialization: Digital Enterprises and Social Media
Supervisor: Ozgur Turetken
Artemio joined the TRSM as a part-time PhD student after 9 years of industry experience as a Data Scientist. Artemio obtained his BA in Mathematical Economics at the University of Waterloo in 2014, and his MA in Economics at the University of Toronto in 2015. Before returning to Toronto, Artemio has spent a few years living and working in Vancouver, BC and New York City. He has leadership and team-focused work experiences within tech start-ups and large corporations across industries including banking & finance, telecommunications, and advertising software as a service. His research interests include the future direction of organizations implementing AI at scale with their implicit consequences on society. Artemio aims to bring his real-world experiences to contextualize the practical uses of AI in his research.
Mohammad Omid Stanekzai
omid.stanekzai@torontomu.ca
Specialization: Global Management Studies (Supply Chain Management)
Supervisors: Dr. Hossein Zolfagharinia and Dr. Aida Haghighi
Mohammad Stanekzai is a first-year PhD student at Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University. Mohammad joined the Ted Rogers School after four years of industry experience. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce and then he pursued his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in International Business from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. Mohammad published his master’s thesis, titled “Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in India” in 2021.
Chantelle Whidden, CHRL
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: HR Management & Organizational Behaviour
Supervisor: Dr. Kristyn Scott
Chantelle is currently an Assistant Professor at Trent University and has been lecturing for over six years at various universities and colleges. Currently pursuing her PhD in Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), she holds a Master of Industrial Relations and HR from the University of Toronto (CIRHR) and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in HRM and OB, from Ontario Tech University.
Chantelle worked in the industry for seven years before transitioning to her lecturing career and has experience in the banking and healthcare sectors as an HR professional. She holds CHRP and CHRL designations and is licensed for HR consulting work. She actively volunteers with HRPA and sits on the Academic Standards Committee.
Chantelle’s current research interests include diversity in organizations and understanding how bias impacts various aspects of human resource management, such as recruitment and selection practices.
Wendi Zhou
wendi.zhou@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Specialization: Digital Enterprises and Social Media
Supervisor: Dr. Mehdi Kargar & Dr. Morteza Zihayat Kermani
Wendi Zhou is a part-time PhD student at Ted Rogers School of Business, Toronto Metropolitan University. She is an experienced professional in data science, strategic planning, and team management. As Sr. Director of Vendor Services & Cybersecurity at TouchTunes, she has contributed to cost savings and operational improvements through her work on acquisitions and cybersecurity. Wendi holds a Master of Business Analytics, and an iBBA in Finance from the Schulich School of Business at York University. With a focus on collaboration and delivering practical insights, she enjoys working with cross-functional teams to support business goals and drive positive outcomes
Omar H. Fares
omar.fares@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Retail and Consumer Services
Supervisor(s): Dr. Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee & Dr. Joseph Aversa
Omar H. Fares is a Lecturer at the Ted Rogers School of Management. Omar earned his Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Science in Management from Toronto Metropolitan University. Omar's main research interest is in the consumer behaviour area, particularly focusing on consumers' interaction with novel digital innovations and the impact of digital innovations on retailers. Omar published his research in different impactful journals, such as Computers in Human Behavior, the Journal of Financial Services Marketing, and the Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science. In addition to his scholarly contributions, Omar is a featured writer, with his work featured in key avenues such as the National Post, Retail Insider, Yahoo News Canada, BBC world service, and CBC News. Omar's professional background combines expertise in sales, market research and planning, corporate strategizing, and leadership & training in the retail sector. Omar worked for leading institutions such as Walmart, CIBC, and Fairstone Bank (Previously Duo Bank).
Retail Management Instructor
Omarfares.com (external link, opens in new window)
Omar Fares at The Conversation (external link, opens in new window)
Junyuan Lin
junyuan.lin@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor: Anatoliy Gruzd
Junyuan joined the TRSM – information technology management department as a part-time Ph.D. student. Junyuan completed her Master of Data Science and Business Analytics program at the University of Montreal. Prior to that, she completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing degrees from Missouri State University, United States. Her primary research interest is in computational social sciences, focusing on how data analytics can be effectively applied to protect businesses and their customers from mis- and disinformation shared on social media.
In industry, she has more than 5 years of working experience and now, she works as a senior data scientist in a government company. She is passionate about providing machine learning and data analytics-related support and transforming data into strategic perspectives that have a concrete impact on business decisions and business development.
Darby Roland
darby.roland@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: HR Management & Organizational Behaviour
Supervisors: Dr. Rupa Banerjee, Dr. Ellen Choi
Darby's academic journey began with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree in Finance at the University of Windsor. She continued her education by completing a Master of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University (SFU). During her time at both the University of Windsor and SFU, she held positions as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant, refining her research and teaching skills, and contributing to scholarly endeavors, including a publication in the Journal of Management and Strategy. In her professional career, Darby has held diverse roles within the retail and commercial banking sector and gained valuable experience in social enterprise development. She has exhibited leadership as the Vice President of Communications for the SFU Graduate Women's Council and served as the President of Enactus Windsor, actively promoting community development and social enterprises. Currently pursuing her PhD in Management at Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Management, Darby's research interests include exploring and advancing management research on work-life balance, diversity in organizational structures, and their impact on employee wellness.
Karun Tangri
Karun is a PhD Student at Toronto Metropolitan University specializing in Marketing and Retail Management. He earned his Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and his Master of Science in Management from Toronto Metropolitan University. Karun’s research interests lie in the area of consumer behaviour, with a focus on understanding the drivers of sustainable consumption. Karun has presented his work at a number of conferences and has published in Journals such as the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Karun has a professional background in Finance and has worked in Corporate Finance Functions at IBM Canada and PepsiCo.
Bradley Bernard
bradley.bernard@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor: Dr. André Laplume
Bradley Bernard graduated from Toronto Metropolitan's Master of Science in Management program (formerly known as Ryerson University) in 2021. He examined smart cities in heavily urbanized areas across North America, exploring how the implementation of smart city technology can best serve to resolve urbanized issues that are similar and can be seen across all cities (i.e. air quality, urban mobility, and waste management). As a Research Assistant, he focused on potential problems employees could face after leaving their employer, issues explicitly around restrictive covenants that may still apply to people wanting to start their own company (called a spinout) or to join a direct competitor.
MD Sajjad Hossain
mdsajjad.hossain@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor: Dr. Dave Valliere
Md Sajjad Hossain is an incoming full-time Ph.D. in Management student from the 2022-23 cohort. Sajjad completed his Master of Science in Management (MScM) program at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2022. Prior to that, he completed Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sajjad comes with diverse experience working in industry and academia. He simultaneously worked in a full-time teaching role in a top-tier university and in a renowned consultancy firm in Bangladesh for several years. He has been strongly involved in community work and has led 50+ student-focused voluntary events while working as the student club moderator. Sajjad also worked in companies like Standard Chartered Bank and Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) in different capacities but academia has remained to be his primary focus. He has multiple peer-reviewed scholarly publications and has participated in prestigious academic conferences like the Academy of Management (AOM) conference and the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion International conference.
Sajjad’s primary research interest revolves around issues related to entrepreneurship, strategy, human resource management (HRM), and organizational behavior (OB). At present, he is working as a research assistant and teaching assistant at Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM). Sajjad aspires to be a seasoned researcher and academician and he is confident that the Ph.D. in Management program at TRSM, under the prudent guidance of the skillful faculty members, will enable him to grow as a researcher.
Steven Kavaratzis
skavaratzis@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Innovation and Strategy within Organizational Behavior
Supervisor: Dr. Ellen Choi
In 2015 Steven completed 1,000 hours of yoga teaching certifications across Canada and Australia and has taught over 1,200 yoga classes. Steven also has worked for multiple Universities in Admissions, Enrolment, Academic Advising and most recently data analytics at the Ted Rogers School - Office of the Dean. He went on to complete his Masters of Science in Management at the Ted Rogers School in 2021, exploring mindfulness and wellness interventions in academic and workplace settings. Steven also consults in industry for large organizations such as Lululemon and Sunnybrook Hospital. As a PhD Student, he aims to bring his interests of wellness, mindfulness, motivation and burnout together through various research projects and initiatives, with the aim to better organizations and the quality of life for the employees within them.
Shi Qian (Aiden) Li
shiqian.li@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Real Estate Management
Supervisor: Dr. David Scofield
Shi Qian (Aiden) Li joined the TRSM as a Ph.D. student in September 2022. Aiden obtained his BSc from the University of Toronto, majoring in statistics and economics, and he completed his MSc from Northeastern University in Boston, majoring in project management.
During Aiden’s professional life, he worked in a real estate company and focused his work on market analysis. With Aiden’s professional and academic experiences, he would like to dedicate his research to real estate studies. More specifically, he would like to focus his research on exploring the broker/agent behaviour on pricing in both the commercial and residential real estate markets. Aiden will be studying under the supervision of Dr. David Scofield, and he is very excited to join the program to continue his education and enhance his knowledge in management and real estate studies. In his free time, Aiden likes to work out in the gym and play golf.
Katia Osso
Katia.osso@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: HR Management & Organizational Behaviour
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Halisnki
Katia is an educator who has been teaching the next generation of talent in Canada since 2019. She is interested in studying work-life topics, well-being, productivity, leadership, emotions in the workplace and organizational change. An alumna from the Master of Science in Management program at Ted Rogers Business School in 2021, Katia has presented her research examining the far-reaching consequences on other employees when a co-worker uses a work-life policy in conferences in Canada. Prior to joining the academic/educational field, Katia worked for more than 15 years in multinational companies leading brands and cross-functional teams to deliver solid results in the corporate world.
Yu Wei Ye
yu.ye@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Sui Sui, Dr. Vik Singh
Yu Wei has a solid academic background in Economics. She completed her Master of Arts in Economics at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021. She also holds a Bachelor of Economics (2001) and a Master of Economics (2006) from China. Her research interests embrace but are not limited to the area of the innovation strategy of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the digital age under the global background. She also shows great interest in women’s entrepreneurship and multinational enterprise (MNE) evolution.
Before pursuing her Ph.D., Yu Wei accumulated substantial industry and management experience. She had nearly 20 years of experience in the financial industry in Strategy Planning and Public Relations Management, with a deep global mindset and strong ability to handle stakeholder-related issues.
Victoria Granova
vgranova@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Management, Cybersecurity and Psychology
Supervisor(s): Dr. Atefeh (Atty) Mashatan
Victoria is an incoming part-time PhD in Management student, who is passionate about strengthening the "human factor" in cybersecurity and will be doing interdisciplinary research in cybersecurity and psychology. Victoria is Founder of the CyberToronto Conference, an annual community conference for the GTA. Victoria is also the President of the (ISC)² Toronto Chapter board, where she works to create professional education opportunities and connects security groups across the GTA to advance the industry together.
In industry, she works as a cybersecurity professional in a FAANG company. Victoria also contributes as an occasional Instructor at York University in the Cybersecurity Certificate Program.
Victoria holds the CISSP, CISA and CPA designations and has an MBA from Queen's University. She was awarded Canadian Security’s Top 10 Under 40, as well as Canada's Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity in 2021.
Atiyeh Kazerooni Monfared
akazeroonimonfared@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ravi Vatrapu
Atiyeh earned her MS degree in Industrial Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and her research on price and capacity decisions in a segmented market was published in IJAMT. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, major in System Analysis from Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran.
Atiyeh has more than 10 years of work experience in the IT sector as a Business Analyst and Software Sales Engineer. She is interested in Business Data Analytics. During her Ph.D. in Management, she will specialize in Digital Enterprise and Social Media. Her research area falls under the Data Science and Supply Chain Management umbrella with interests in Digitalization, Resilience, and Transparency.
Yisheng Li
yisheng.li@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ravi Vatrapu
Yisheng holds an MS degree in Data Analytics at George Mason University and an MS in Management at Brock University. He published a paper as a contributing author in the American Journal of Health Behavior and presented his research at several conferences. His primary research interest is in computational social sciences with a focus on conspiracy theories on social media. Specifically, he is investigating the formation of homophily of conspiracy theories through the lens of social/cognitive theories. To this end, he aims to employ machine learning and natural language processing coupled with big data. Broadly, he is interested in the ethical implications of AI (e.g., fairness, transparency). Yisheng was granted the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Brock Faculty Supervisor-MSc Student Research Award, Brock Graduate Studies Dean's Excellence Award, and Brock Distinguished Graduate Student Award.
Saifur Rahman
mdsaifur.rahman@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Ken Grant / Wendy Cukier
Saif is currently working as a Research Assistant at the Ted Rogers School of Management’s Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto. He has completed the Masters of Science in Management (M.Sc.M) program from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021. His research interest includes entrepreneurship and strategy, Unicorn startups, women entrepreneurship, project management, and change management. He is also working as a professor in the Project Management program at the School of Management, George Brown College, Toronto.
Saif is a certified Project Manager (PMI-PMP, and PMI-ACP) and Business Analyst (CBAP-IIBA and PMI-PBA), as well as a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB-ASQ) practitioner, with over 12 years of experience in the Management Consulting, FinTech, Process Automation & Digital Transformation, and Investment Banking domain. He has also completed his Bachelors (2008) and Masters (2012) in Business Administration from University of Dhaka.
Meet Shah
meet2.shah@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Real Estate Studies
Supervisor(s): Dr. Murtaza Haider
Meet completed his Master of Science in Management from the Ted Rogers School of Management, where he was awarded the MScM Best Thesis Award. His thesis analyzed the impact of government policy change on hedge fund performance measured through return, flow, and risk. Meet also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Brock University. His research interests include hedge funds, real estate finance, real estate law, and REITs. With previous industry experience and academic knowledge, Meet strives to make an impact by exploring new and innovative topics in Real Estate Management and Finance.
Nicole Taylor
nic.taylor045@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation
Supervisor(s): Alison Kemper
Nicole is interested in the intersection between business, history, and gender in mature industries. In particular, she explores how multinational institutions use language to (re)create power dynamics and how individual women at all levels (ie. entrepreneurs, workers, managers, or executives) shape, and are shaped by, such institutional policies.
Windsor, Ontario is her home town and with the current shift from 'automotive' to 'automobility', she is intimately familiar with how the automotive industry is more than just the immediate manufacturing company or SMEs in the supply chain. Indeed, the ebbs and flows of the automotive industry affect whole communities. As coordinator for a non-profit that supports nascent entrepreneurs, she is able to support her community as both researcher and practitioner. As an instructor at a college, she brings her personal and educational expertise to make the classroom simultaneously interactive and informative.
Previous research includes a variety of topics ranging from media content analysis of women executives; resilience of entrepreneurs; case studies of women in the film and retail industry; gender differences in digital skill; and the effect of employee engagement on organizational citizenship behaviour.
Nicole has earned two master's degrees: an MA in History from the University of Western Ontario (2020) and an MBA from the University of Windsor (2019). She received her BA in History from the University of Ottawa.
Dane Vanderkooi
dvanderkooi@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor(s): Dr. Atefeh Mashatan
Dane Vanderkooi is currently a Research Assistant at the Cybersecurity Research Lab (CRL) at Toronto Met and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Ottawa where he majored in General Management. Following his undergraduate degree, Dane worked at the Department of Justice first as an administrative assistant and later as a data analyst. He also recently finished his Master of Science in Management (MScM) at Toronto Metropolitan University where he specialized in Information Technology Management. Throughout his tenure here at Toronto Met, Dane has been able to present his research at the SERENE-RISC 2020 Cybersecurity Conference and the CRL Research Exhibit in 2019. For his Ph.D., he will specialize in the Digital Enterprise and Social Media research area. More precisely his research is focused on digital privacy management and information disclosure in addition to IoT end user adoption and social media analytics.
https://www.torontomu.ca/tedrogersschool/cybersecurity-research-lab/
Charlie Wall Andrews
charlie.wallandrews@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Wendy Cukier
Charlie Wall-Andrews (MBA, MA, BA, CCIP) is a Trudeau Scholar and lecturer at the University of Toronto. In addition to having over a decade of management experience, she is an alumna of the prestigious Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship, which specializes in social entrepreneurship and cross-cultural leadership. As a leader in the creative industries, she established many programs such as the Creative Entrepreneur Incubator and Equity X Production Development Program which prepares artists to turn their passion and talent into a sustainable career. Charlie did her Master of Business Administration at Ivey Business School, Master of Arts (MA) at York University, and Bachelor of Arts at Laurentian University. She is dedicated to advancing scientific research and critical theory in management studies and creative entrepreneurship. She conducts research at the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University and studies under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Cukier.
Dike Ike
dike.ike@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Howard Lin, Dr. Anna Triandafyllidou
Dike’s primary research interest lies in the entrepreneurship behaviours of immigrants in Canada. In addition, he is interested in immigration and settlement, particularly as it applies to new immigrants in Canada. Prior to joining Toronto Metropolitan University, Dike worked as a manager for over five years in several multinational companies. Dike holds an M.Eng from Covenant University, and has authored over twenty highly cited publications in international journals and conferences.
Natalia Lumby
nlumby@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Ojelanki Ngwenyama
Natalia Lumby is an educator and researcher with a passion for packaging, design, sustainability and technology. Currently an Associate Professor in the School of Graphic Communications Management, she has been teaching at Toronto Met since 2008. Her research interests are largely in consumer packaging. Lumby looks at packaging systems from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. She has investigated innovations in packaging technology and evaluated the performance of systems and processes in packaging. During her PhD in Management at TRSM, she will be focusing on exploring management systems that support sustainable innovations in packaging.
Osama Aziz
osama.aziz@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Kenneth Grant, Dr. Andre Laplume
Osama received his education up to bachelor in Pakistan. Osama’s bachelor is in accounting with specialization in finance from the University of Management and Technology Pakistan. He did his masters at Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada in management with specialization in Entrepreneurship and Strategy. During his stay at Toronto Metropolitan University, he was involved in different research works in addition to academic work. One of his major research works was to contribute to a report "The Survival Rate of Startups Funded by Angel Investors" co-sponsored by NACO and federal government's MITACS research program. He also had the honour to work as a teaching assistant during his bachelor degree and a research assistant during his masters degree. Osama has nine research papers as well as five international conferences on his credit. His area of interest is economic activities particularly in the field of entrepreneurship.
Samin Shaaban
sshaaban@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Digital Enterprise and Social Media
Supervisor(s): Dr. Farid Shirazi
Samin is a doctoral fellow in the interdisciplinary Management program specializing in Digital Enterprise and Social Media. She is an Adjunct Professor at Seneca College in the School of International Business Management and a Faculty Researcher in the Office of Applied Research and Innovation. Her teaching and research interests embrace but are not limited to the following areas: data analytics, environmental sustainability and climate change. Samin’s dissertation research concentrates on integrating big data analytics with environmental sustainability, and compliance through the fusion of deep learning and blockchain.
She has a background in Law and Business, with a focus on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) from TRSM, where she wrote a thesis on the impact of ICT and international protocols on carbon footprint and climate change, for which she was awarded both the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and TRSM Distinguished Thesis Award.
Sedat Ogeturk
sogeturk@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Real Estate Studies and Retail and Consumer Services
Supervisor(s): Dr. Tony Hernandez, Dr. Dogan Tirtiroglu
Sedat received his MScM degree in Real Estate Management from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2018. He studied engineering at Istanbul Technical University, Turkey and proceeded to work in various upscale manufacturing institutions. Sedat obtained his MBA degree from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2015. His research interests include commercial real estate and real estate investment trusts (REITs) specific to Canadian REITs.
Sohrab Mashhadizadeh
smashhadizadeh@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Supervisor(s): Dr. Aziz Guergachi
Sohrab’s research interests include corporate strategy, quantitative market analysis, and exponential organizations. Sohrab has done his undergraduate in engineering and has several years of experience working in the corporate environment before joining the Ted Roger School of Management. Sohrab has completed his Master of Science in Management at TRSM specializing in strategic market analysis. Based on his academic excellence and his research during his graduate studies, he was awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Toronto Met Graduate Development Award, and the MScM program’s Distinguished Thesis Award.
Zachary Robichaud
zachary.robichaud@torontomu.ca
Area of Interdisciplinary Specialization: Retail and Consumer Services
Supervisor(s): Dr. Hong Yu, Dr. Wendy Cukier
Zachary is a proud double alumnus at Toronto Met university having completed his Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Retail Management, in 2017 and most recently, his Master of Science in Management in 2019. His thesis examined the impact of virtual reality on Generation Z consumers’ purchase intentions regarding fair-trade coffee. Following the successful defence of his thesis in the summer of 2019, Zachary developed a conference paper that was subsequently accepted for presentation by the 2020 American Collegiate Retailing Association annual conference where it won best graduate student full paper submission. His research area falls under the retail and consumer services umbrella with interests in omnichannel retail, smart shopping, consumer behaviour and psychology, and sustainable retailing.
