Appointments and Renewals
Interim Dean, Faculty of Arts
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026
Dr. Tobias (Toby) Sperlich has agreed to serve as Interim Dean, Faculty of Arts, from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 until a full-term Dean is in place. Dr. Sperlich (he/him, they/them) is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology since 2005. He previously served as Department Head from 2015 to 2021. Toby was appointed as Associate Dean (Undergraduate Programs) in the Faculty of Arts in 2021.
Among other accomplishments in the role, he streamlined academic integrity reviews, creating an “Academic Integrity and Equity Team” and supported major curricular revisions and new program developments. These include updating the core requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, developing the new 90-credit Bachelor of Arts and Science, and creating numerous certificates and diplomas.
A first-generation university student and native of Germany, Toby received his post-secondary education in England. He obtained a BA (Honours) in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Oxford, an MA in the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas from the University of East Anglia, and a DPhil in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oxford. He has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Samoa and held research fellowships in New Zealand and the United States. His research focuses on how Europeans and other outsiders (mis)represent Indigenous Polynesian societies and histories through material culture, art, photography, and text.
Dr. Sperlich has published in highly ranked journals in his field and is an award-winning teacher. He is committed to making academic knowledge accessible to wider audiences, sharing his knowledge in various non-academic settings, such as K-12 classrooms, community-run galleries, Indigenous cultural centres, and cruise ships traversing the South Pacific.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Sperlich on this appointment.
Director, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
December 1, 2025 - November 30, 2030
Following a review conducted according to the provisions of the University’s policy on out-of-scope administrative appointments, we are pleased to share that Dr. Jim Farney has accepted President Keshen’s offer of a second five-year term as Director, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy effective December 1, 2025.
Dr. Farney earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto and his MA and BA from the University of Saskatchewan. He taught at Queens University from 2006-11 and joined the University of Regina in 2011 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science. He was Head of that department from 2018-20 and moved to the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) in 2020. In 2023 he led the development of the University of Regina’s Academic Plan.
Jim is the author of Social Conservatism and Party Politics in Canada and the United States, co-editor of Conservatism in Canada, and Open Federalism Revisited, as well as articles on Canadian political development, provincial politics, political parties, and education policy. His most recent book (with Clark Banack) is Faith, Rights, and Choice: The Politics of Religious Schools in Canada, which received an honourable mention for the Seymour Martin Lipset Book Award of the American Political Science Association in 2023. He is currently Principal Investigator on a SSHRC Insight-supported project investigating the fiscal, governance, and public opinion impacts of school choice in Canada.
During his time as Director, Jim worked with colleagues at both the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina to ensure that JSGS operated as an integrated whole while responding to the strategic priorities of two different universities. JSGS reviewed and renewed all its academic programs and its executive internship program during this time. It launched a certificate in Nation-Building in partnership with First Nations University of Canada. JSGS has also launched new training and research initiatives focussing on municipalities. Jim regularly teaches the introductory course in public administration to better understand the diverse backgrounds and experiences of JSGS students and is an active MPP and PhD supervisor.
Committed to public engagement, he is a frequent commentor on Saskatchewan and Canadian politics in outlets including the Regina Leader-Post, the Economist, Washington Post, the CBC, and the BBC. He currently serves as the Saskatchewan Social Scientist on Election Saskatchewan’s 2024 Election Assessment and is a board member of Eden Care Communities. He is a past President of the Prairie Political Science Association.
Looking forward to the next five years, Jim is committed to continuing strong partnerships with the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Public Service. He is supportive in JSGS building closer relationships with First Nation, Métis, and municipal governments; pursue opportunities in health care administration, the digital transformation, and Executive Education; and further strengthen its record of engaged public policy research.
We thank the members of the Reappointment Committee for their collegial work: Dr. Michelle Bussière-Prytula, Dr. Aziz Douai, Sebastian Eger, Lin Gallagher, Susan Lloyd, Dr. Justin Longo, Laura Mac-Donald, Sadia McInnis, Dr. Kathleen McNutt, and Dr. Erin Oldford. I would also like to thank Megan Ludik of Human Resources and Angela Leader of the Provost’s Office for their administrative support.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Farney on this reappointment.
Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2030
Following a review conducted according to the provisions of the University’s policy on out-of-scope administrative appointments, we are pleased to share that Dr. Aziz Douai has accepted President Keshen’s offer of a second five-year term as Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research effective January 1, 2026.
Dr. Douai holds a PhD in Mass Communications from Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in Advertising from Boston University, and has lectured on global communication issues in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. He is the author of Arab media and the politics of terrorism: Unbecoming news (Peter Lang, 2020), and co-editor of Mediated identities and new journalism in the Arab World: Mapping the “Arab Spring (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), and New media influence on social and political change in Africa (IGI Global, 2013). He has published more than 50 journal articles and book chapters dealing with Middle East and North African (MENA) media, political conflict, among other global communication issues. Dr. Douai maintains an active research agenda focused on disruptive communication technologies, with a special interest in the MENA region’s media and politics, and actively seeks opportunities to teach and supervise graduate students in the interdisciplinary area of mass communication.
Dr. Douai is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) since 2022 and participates in advocacy and advancement of graduate education at national and international levels. He is also a Founding Member of the Center on Hate, Bias and Extremism, a Senior Research Affiliate at the Canadian Research Network for Terrorism, Security and Society, and a member of the Digital Life Institute. He served as grant reviewer and Chair of the Multi-disciplinary Committee-Social Sciences at the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) between 2017-2020. A recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, SSHRC and international competitive research grants, he highly appreciates the importance of research funding to graduate student success.
As Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Aziz has implemented several student-centered initiatives promoting graduate student success through curricular and cocurricular programming, stronger funding for graduate students, and expanding training and professional development opportunities. He has supported graduate program innovation and led the development of the Graduate Advanced Training and Entrepreneurship (GATE) Centre. GATE serves as a catalyst for student innovation and entrepreneurship through graduate student talent development, career-preparation, and acceleration of start-ups. Aziz prides himself on advocating on behalf of U of R graduate students and researchers and celebrating their accomplishments locally and nationally. During his first term, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research has experienced significant growth in graduate student enrolment, enhanced graduate student funding, and received national recognition for excellence in graduate education, including FGSR’s faculty nominee being honored with CAGS’s Award in Outstanding Graduate Supervision in 2022 and FGSR’s graduate student winning the CAGS’ National Three Minute Thesis Showcase in 2024.
We thank the members of the Reappointment Committee for their collegial work: Kwaku Ayisi, Melisssa Dyck, Dr. Jenn Gordon, Dr. Tristan Hopper, Dr. Golam Kabir, Dr. Chris Oriet, Karin Pasternak, Dr. Cathy Rocke, and Dr. Chris Yost. I would also like to thank Danni Kenzle of Human Resources and Angela Leader of the Provost’s Office for their administrative support.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Douai on this reappointment.
Dean, Faculty of Social Work
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2030
Following a review conducted according to the provisions of the University’s policy on out-of-scope administrative appointments, Dr. Cathy Roke has been appointed to a second five-year term as Dean, Faculty of Social Work effective July 1, 2025.
Dr. Rocke brings a wealth of experience and achievements to her role at the University of Regina, particularly in social work and academia. During her first term as Dean, she led the development of a new Strategic Plan (2021-2025) for the Faculty of Social Work during the challenging times of the pandemic; successfully secured one-time MOU funding from the Province of Saskatchewan to redesign the Master of Social Work degree, enhancing accessibility for graduate students across the province; and initiated a Bachelor of Social Work cohort in the North Battleford / Meadowlake region in collaboration with Northwest College, expanding educational opportunities in underserved areas. Dr. Rocke steered the Faculty of Social Work through financial challenges, including navigating budget cuts over a two-year period, demonstrating effective fiscal management.
Dr. Rocke has maintained active involvement in teaching, graduate student supervision, and scholarly work during her tenure as Dean. She successfully adapted and delivered a blended undergraduate course, published a book chapter and journal article focusing on social work practice in child welfare, contributing to scholarly discourse in the field. She also developed and sustained strong relationships the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers (SASW), serving on key committees including Education and Research. At the national level she served on the Executive Committee of the Child Welfare League of Canada, highlighting her commitment to broader social work advocacy and policy.
Prior to joining the University of Regina in 2020, Dr. Rocke served as Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. Dr. Rocke completed her PhD at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, St. Paul's College, University of Manitoba where her research focused on the how organizations respond to issues of racism. In her social work practice, Dr. Rocke worked in the areas of child protection and domestic violence.
The Provost thanks the members of the Reappointment Committee for their collegial work: Dr. Darlene Chalmers, Jonathan Calfat, Dr. Jacqueline Fields, Brad Fraser, Dr. Lise Milne, Dr. James Nahachewsky, Dr. Nuelle Novik, and Jillian Plosker. Additional thanks to Dr. Christopher Yost, Vice-President (Research) for serving as Chair, and to Danni Kenzle of Human Resources and Angela Leader of the Provost’s Office for their administrative support.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Rocke on this reappointment.
Dean, Faculty of Business Administration
July 31, 2024 - June 30, 2029
Following a national search conducted according to the provisions of the University’s policy on out-of-scope administrative appointments, Dr. Erin Oldford has been appointed as Dean, Faculty of Business Administration effective July 31, 2024.
Dr. Erin Oldford holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Business Administration in Finance, and PhD in Management (Finance) from Carleton’s Sprott School of Business. She has been a Finance faculty member at Memorial University’s Faculty of Business Administration since 2017.
Since 2021, Dr. Oldford has served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Accreditation, where she led the roll-out of redeveloped undergraduate Commerce programs. Further, she steered the reimagining of experiential learning programming at Memorial’s Harlow, UK campus, where students work with UK companies as management consultants. Dr. Oldford has managed Memorial’s portfolio of accreditations, professional designations, and partnerships. In supporting AACSB, Dr. Oldford has led the effort to enhance faculty buy-in and prioritize mission-driven, continuous improvement. She has spearheaded work to prioritize societal impact, developing a faculty social impact statement and social impact plan to guide the faculty’s efforts in this space. In her time as Associate Dean, Dr. Oldford has also designed and worked with a team to implement “Embark”, the faculty’s student success and career centre, which takes a holistic approach to student success.
Throughout her career, Dr. Oldford has been a champion of experiential and peer-to-peer learning programs. Upon joining Memorial, she developed and launched the University’s student-managed investment fund, and she is involved with developing a student-led social impact fund. Dr. Oldford teaches a range of courses, including Corporate Finance and Investments, and developed and teaches an experiential finance course titled: Applied Equity Valuation. At both Memorial and Carleton, Dr. Oldford worked with a number of student teams to compete in finance competitions, including ICBC, Van Berkom Small Cap Case Competition, William & Mary Women’s Stock Pitch Competition, and CFA Research Challenges. Her contribution to teaching has been recognized by the Patten Teaching Fellowship.
Dr. Oldford researches in the areas of behavioural finance, corporate communications, and financial education. She has published 19 peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognized academic journals including Scientometrics, Managerial Finance, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, The Financial Review, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, and Journal of Business Finance and Accounting. Her research has been highlightedby the National Post and the World Economic Forum. Dr. Oldford’s research is externally funded, and she currently holds a SSRC Insight Grant and is a co-investigator on a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant. Her research has beenrecognized by the Dean’s Research Award and the FBA Advisory Board Research Impact Award.
The Provost would like to recognize the work of the Advisory Committee members (in alphabetical order): Mr. Mark Borgares, Mr. Sean Harms, Mr. Dwight Heinrichs, Dr. Youngsoo Kim, Ms. Anne Lauf, Dr. Tatiana Levit, Mr. Mike Northcott, Dr. Adrian Pitariu, Mr. Noah Rainbow, Dr. Morina Rennie, Dr. Christie Schultz, Ms. Stephanie Swayn, and The Hon. Pamela Wallin. The committee was supported in its work by Angela Leader of the Provost’s Office.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Oldford on this appointment.
