Meet our dedicated team who work tirelessly to improve the lives of Canadians and their families. Together, Institute staff, researchers and our growing network of Senior Fellows from around the world have helped make us the top think tank in Canada.
Derek J. Allison
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario
Derek J. Allison, B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Education at the University of Western
Ontario. Derek began his teaching career in England, before moving to Alberta, where he was a school principal. After completing his graduate work at the University of Alberta, he accepted a position with the faculty of education at the University of Western Ontario. Where he taught social and legal foundations of education for 36 years, and skillfully guided hundreds of graduate students through advanced research and study. He gained acclaim for his teaching, especially his outstanding lectures, and his skill as a mentor and advisor to graduate students. He has an extensive record in research and publication with particular interests in the organization and operation of schools, theories of leadership, and the philosophy of inquiry. He is the recipient of 10 teaching awards and the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration.
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Douglas Cumming
Distinguished Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship, Florida Atlantic University
Douglas Cumming is the DeSantis Distinguished Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at the College of Business, Florida Atlantic University as well
as a Visiting Professor of Finance at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK. Previously, he was a Professor and the Ontario Research Chair at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Professor Cumming received his BA in economics and finance from McGill University, his masters from Queen’s University and PhDs in both economics and finance as well as law from the University of Toronto. Professor Cumming is also a Certified Financial Analyst.He has published over 185 articles in leading refereed academic journals in finance, management, and law and economics, and his work has been cited over 17,000 times according to Google Scholar. His is the Founding Managing Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Corporate Finance (2021-), the Managing Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Management (2020-2022) and the Journal of Corporate Finance (2018-2020). Professor Cumming has written 18 academic books covering a host of financial and regulatory issues.
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Elmira Aliakbari
Director, Natural Resource Studies, Fraser Institute
Elmira Aliakbari is Director of the Centre for Natural Resource Studies at the Fraser Institute. She received a Ph.D. in Economics
from the University of Guelph, and M.A. and B.S. degrees in Economics, both from the University of Tehran in Iran. She has studied public policy involving energy and the environment for nearly eight years. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Ms. Aliakbari was Director of Research, Energy, Ecology and Prosperity with the Frontier Center for Public Policy. She has presented her work at many academic conferences and has been published in the prestigious academic journal Energy Economics. Ms. Aliakbari’s research has been discussed in prominent media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, and her commentaries have appeared in major Canadian and American newspapers such as the Globe and Mail, Washington Times, National Post, and Financial Post.
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Ergete Ferede
Professor of Economics, MacEwan University
Ergete Ferede is Professor of Economics at MacEwan University in Edmonton, where he has held an academic appointment since 2006.
He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Alberta. He has previously taught at Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), University of Alberta, and University of Windsor. Dr. Ferede has been actively engaged in research on taxation policy and intergovernmental grants. He also conducts research on the efficiency costs of taxes, the effects of taxes on various economic activities, corporate income-tax policy, and tax reform. His research has been published in the National Tax Journal, International Tax and Public Finance, Small Business Economics, and Public Finance Review.
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Fred McMahon
Resident Fellow, Dr. Michael A. Walker Chair in Economic Freedom
Fred McMahon is a Fraser Institute Resident Fellow and holder of the Dr. Michael A. Walker Chair in Economic Freedom.
He has an M.A. in Economics from McGill University. Mr. McMahon manages the Economic Freedom of the World Project and coordinates the Economic Freedom Network, an international alliance of over 100 think tank partners in about 100 nations and territories. His research focuses on global issues such as development, trade, governance and economic structure. Mr. McMahon is the author of numerous research articles and several books including, Looking the Gift Horse in the Mouth: The Impact of Federal Transfers on Atlantic Canada, which won the Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for advancing public policy debate, Road to Growth: How Lagging Economies Become Prosperous, and Retreat from Growth: Atlantic Canada and the Negative Sum Economy.He has written for numerous publications including the European Journal of Political Economy, the SAIS Journal (School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University), the Wall Street Journal, Policy Options, National Post, Time (Canada), Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, and most other major Canadian newspapers. Research articles he has recently authored or co-authored include: Economic Freedom of North America, Quebec Prosperity: Taking the Next Step, The Unseen Wall: The Fraser Institute's Annual Trade Survey, and Economic Freedom of the Arab World.
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Consider a rewarding career in the world of ideas, and join the Fraser Institute’s dedicated staff who work together to improve the lives of Canadians and their families.