University of Alberta School of Business

PhD Spotlight: Masoum Talebi is shaking up how we think about healthcare systems and asking the question: What if they could work a whole lot better?

As a doctoral student in Operations and Information Systems at the Alberta School of Business, Talebi uses optimization and systems-thinking to improve emergency care delivery. Her research explores topics such as ambulance routing, patient flow and nurse-initiated standing orders, with the goal of reducing emergency department congestion and supporting better decisions for both patients and healthcare providers.

Learn more about Masoum and her research: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/business/programs/phd/program-overview/phd-candidate-spotlights/2026/business-phd-spotlight-masoum-talebi

💡 What does experiential learning look like during an MBA?

For Mahtab Khosravi (centre left) and her teammates Nimra, Omar and Andrew, it meant nearly 10 weeks of preparation, seven to eight hours of practice each week and an intensive seven-day competition in Montréal.

Earlier this year, the team represented the Alberta School of Business at the John Molson MBA International Case Competition — recognized as the largest competition of its kind. The experience challenged them to analyze complex business problems, develop strategies across industries and present their recommendations under pressure alongside MBA students from around the world.

“As an international student, I learned so much about different industries and their strategies. It was stressful and very challenging, but I don’t think my MBA experience would feel complete without it.

“We didn’t win the competition, but the experience and commitment were invaluable. I was very lucky to work with such amazing teammates, and our mentor, Jim Seethram, dedicated so much time to supporting us. That made a huge difference in our learning and growth.”

Case competitions are one of the many ways ASB master’s students can apply what they learn in the classroom, strengthen their teamwork and strategic thinking, and gain experience tackling real-world business challenges.

Learn more about our MBA program: uab.ca/mba

From discovering a passion for teaching to researching ways to improve retirement decision-making, Mehrnaz Behrooz's PhD journey has been driven by curiosity, resilience and a desire to make a meaningful difference.

Focusing her research on public service operations, her work explored retirement decision-making, helping people better navigate both financial and non-financial factors so they can plan with greater confidence and enjoy life after their careers.

"I have always wanted my research to have a tangible impact on community well-being, rather than just building complex models for academic applause," says Behrooz.

Now, after graduating this past spring, Mehrnaz is bringing that same passion for public service to the City of Edmonton, where she has joined the strategy team and will use data-driven insights to optimize strategic operations and create meaningful, real-world improvements for our city and community.

Congratulations, Mehrnaz, we can't wait to see the impact you'll continue to make in your new role with the City of Edmonton and beyond.

For nearly six decades, the Alberta School of Business has met one of the highest global standards in business education.

Today, we're proud to share that our AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation has been renewed for another five years, continuing our distinction as Canada's longest continually accredited business school.

AACSB accreditation represents one of the highest standards in business education worldwide. Its renewal recognizes our continued commitment to exceptional teaching, impactful research, meaningful community engagement and student success.

While accreditation is an important milestone, it's also a reminder that excellence is never finished. Every day our faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners continue to challenge ideas, create knowledge and prepare future business leaders who make a difference.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this achievement possible. Together, we continue to uplift each other, and business education.

We're so thrilled to share that the following Alberta School of Business recipients are among the 53 U of A researchers who are receiving nearly $8 million through SSHRC’s Partnership Development, Partnership Engage, Insight and Insight Development grant programs.

Michael Lounsbury, Valeri Sokolovski, Mark Huson, Jungsik Hyun, Adelina Barbalau, Paul Messinger, Sidarth Moktan, Sarah Moore, Bryan Spencer, Yanhao Wang, Ke Wang, Longzhou Wang and Yang Yi: congratulations on all your hard work and we are proud of your ongoing commitment to driving social and and cultural change.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4yzspl5

PhD Spotlight: Accounting doctoral candidate Kieran Taylor-Neu shares how his research explores the role of professional norms and ethics in accounting, examining how organizations use corporate disclosures to signal expertise, legitimacy and compliance within Canadian capital markets.

Using both computational text analysis and close examination of corporate documents, Kieran's work sheds light on how governance practices and organizational communications evolve over time.

Read more about Kieran's research at ASB, his academic journey and what inspires his work: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/business/programs/phd/program-overview/phd-candidate-spotlights/2026/business-phd-spotlight-kieran-taylor-neu

As a dual-degree graduate with international experience across marketing, partnerships and business development, Floriane Durand has led product launches and growth initiatives across Europe and Asia. With an MBA/MSc from the Alberta School of Business and EDHEC business school in France, respectively, she currently serves as Vietnam Country Lead for the French pharmaceutical company UPSA.

In this month's BAA profile, Floriane describes her one year at ASB in Edmonton as a transformative experience that shaped her global outlook and strengthened her collaborative leadership style. Read more: https://bit.ly/4gmeice

As Alberta continues to experience rapid population growth, the questions facing our communities are becoming more urgent: How do we build the infrastructure needed to support that growth while keeping communities affordable, vibrant and resilient?

Since its launch, the Cities Institute at the Alberta School of Business, led by Executive Director Dr. Murtaza Haider, has been bringing together researchers, industry and government to tackle these challenges through evidence-based research and collaboration.

We're pleased to see that work continue with a recent $50,000 grant from the Government of Alberta to support research into innovative approaches to financing infrastructure in communities across the province. Building on ongoing partnerships with BILD Alberta and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, this research will help inform the newly established Government of Alberta Minister's Council as it explores ways to expand infrastructure financing without raising taxes.

Thank you to the Government of Alberta, BILD Alberta and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation for investing in research that will help shape stronger communities for generations to come.

Read more information here: https://bit.ly/4oMYlOi

This month, we asked Breanna Crichton, MBA '26, to report back from Cebu, Philippines, where she just completed Business on the Frontlines (BOTFL) — an Alberta School of Business course that takes students beyond the classroom and into communities tackling complex social and economic challenges.

Through fieldwork with World Vision, Breanna and her classmates explored how business skills can support meaningful, community-driven change.

→ How did BOTFL challenge or shift your perspective?
This experience reinforced the importance of getting out from behind a desk and into the community. My instructor, Emily Block, kept saying "dirty boots", and now I get what that means! It is easy to look at reports and data and think you understand a problem, but fieldwork gives you a completely different perspective. Listening to people share both their successes and hardships reminded me that every statistic represents a real person with a unique story. Once you have sat with people and heard those stories firsthand, it becomes harder to separate the numbers from the human side of the issue.

→ What are you learning about business, leadership or community through this experience?
One of the biggest lessons I learned is that leadership starts with listening. Throughout our fieldwork, we spent more time listening than speaking. Business on the Frontlines (BOTFL) showed me how business skills can be applied in a community setting, but also how important it is to understand the local context before making recommendations. BOTFL connected my MBA learnings to real people and communities. It brought the classroom to life in a way I was not expecting.

→ Was there a moment or interaction that particularly stayed with you?
One story that has stayed with our team is from a lady named Ate Shirley. She shared that before becoming involved in her community, she rarely left her home and lacked confidence. Through her involvement with World Vision programs, she gradually took on leadership roles and is now a CoMSCA leader, child monitor, and board member of Sogod Inc.
Ate Shirley is one of the many transformation stories we heard throughout the two weeks in Cebu. What stayed with me was not just her story of personal growth but seeing firsthand how empowerment can create this snowball effect in a community. Her confidence inspired others, and the cycle continues with the next person.

Learn more about BOTFL: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/business/programs/mba/academics/experiential-learning/business-on-the-frontlines.html