Senior leadership team

Alex Clark

Alex Clark is an internationally known administrator, researcher, and advocate for well-being and effectiveness in academic work and workplaces. A complexity theorist and researcher of psychosocial aspects of heart disease, he has worked in post-secondary education for 20 years in Alberta. He has held faculty and executive roles at the University of Alberta for more than a decade, and, most recently, was dean of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University. He is past chair of the International Institute of Qualitative Methodology (2011-18), and co-authored How to be a Happy Academic (SAGE, 2018). He was designated a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader / Young Scientist for his contributions to mentorship and leadership in academia.

Matthew Prineas

Dr. Matthew Prineas joined Athabasca University in early September 2017 and is in his second term as provost and vice-president academic.

Before assuming his current role as provost at Athabasca University, Prineas served in a variety of influential leadership roles at the University of Maryland University College. As provost and vice president, academic, he has a broad and deep mandate to lead, champion, and advance AU’s academic mission.

As the university’s chief academic officer, he is responsible for creating and elevating academic excellence and quality, including academic programs, research, academic policy, accreditation, and learner services. The office combines and balances academic leadership with leadership on institutional planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.

Prineas works closely with the AU president to deliver academic and administrative excellence across the entire institution, in large part by leading and supporting the implementation of AU’s strategic plan, Imagine: Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities .

Prineas holds a PhD in English from the University of Rochester and has an extensive academic record.

Priscilla Campeau

Priscilla Campeau is Cree – Saulteaux. She is a member of Muskowekwan First Nation in Saskatchewan and has been a visitor on Treaties 6 and 8 territories for the past 25 years. She has been with AU, working in such disciplines as criminal justice, governance, law and management, and Indigenous Studies. She is currently the lead of Nukskahtowin (Meeting Place), a centre that integrates Indigenous knowledge within the university structures in the areas of program and course development. Priscilla is also the chair of Indigenous studies and teaches an undergraduate course entitled “Indigenous Women in Canada” and a graduate course entitled “Indigenous Knowledge and Education.” Her research interests include Indigenous women, Indigenous knowledge, and the intersections of Indigeneity within the various disciplines, and the inclusion of Elders within those spaces.

Shawn Fraser

Dr. Shawn Fraser is the dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and is a full professor of Health Studies. He previously served as associate dean, teaching and learning in the Faculty of Health Disciplines and as the Master of Health Studied/Master of Nursing graduate program director. He studies health behaviour change and mental stress responses in cardiac rehabilitation patients and also belongs to the learning analytics research group at Athabasca University. He has been involved in graduate programming, teaching, and administration since joining Athabasca University in 2006.

Megan Hall

Megan Hall joined AU in 2012 as a member of Athabasca University’s innovative open-access scholarly publishing house, AU Press. In 2019, Megan became the director of AU Press. Since then, she has worked on numerous boards and committees in the university press and publishing community, including recently as the president of the Association of Canadian University Presses. Megan often presents on AU Press’s innovative publishing model and speaks to the value and sustainability of open-access publishing programs, and has worked with government agencies to explore funding pathways for open access.

Manijeh Mannani

Dr. Manijeh Mannani (she/her) is a full professor of English and comparative literature. Since joining Athabasca University in 2007, she has led and co-led several major faculty and university-wide initiatives and served in various academic administrative roles. A staunch advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, she believes in respect, collegiality, and transparency informing all levels of decision-making. She is keen to enhance what has been working well in the faculty and to introduce and implement new ideas, in line with the mission of the university. She has a distinguished record of scholarly publishing in the areas of classical Persian literature, poetry, and life narratives and has supervised dissertations in a wide range of disciplines within the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Alain May

Dr. Alain May joined AU in 2006. Her research interests are enterprise systems, system implementation, and gender and information technology; she has also done work around user competency and IT outsourcing. She is currently researching the implementation of an electronic health record system in Kibera, Africa’s second largest slum, located in the heart of Nairobi. Alain obtained both her BsC (Computing Science) specializing in software design and her MBA from the University of Alberta. She obtained her PhD in Business (Management Information Systems) from the University of Calgary in 2007. She has taught MBA and undergraduate courses at both Athabasca University and the University of Calgary in all areas of management information systems and organizational behaviour.

Matthew McCreary

Matt McCreary works in the office of the president to support strategic projects across the university and engage with internal and external stakeholders.

He brings rich skills from across the post-secondary sector in strategic planning, strategy development and alignment, stakeholder and community relations, change and issues management, and integrated communications. Matt has a Master of Arts in Communications and Technology, for which his research focused on crowdsourced strategies to advance inclusive organizational change in universities.

Before joining AU in 2023, Matt supported strategic communications and engagement for the offices of the president, provost, and other units at the University of Alberta. He has also worked at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and in the non-profit sector.

Dale Mountain

A chartered professional accountant with more than 30 years of experience across a range of sectors and large complex operations-including thirteen years in the Alberta post-secondary sector-Dale has developed a strong reputation as a collaborative, trust-based, inclusive, and strategic leader.

Dale brings deep and diverse financial experience to his new role from across the public sector; resource, industrial electrical, and heavy construction industries; and Indigenous Government.

Dale is a member of the Beaver Lake Cree First Nation Alberta. Working in Alberta's Post-secondary sector has been integral to his professional and personal development, providing him with opportunities to contribute to the advancement of Indigenous Peoples and build a stronger and more inclusive Alberta.

Jennifer Pascoe

Jennifer is a passionate professional with more than 20 years of experience working in public relations, communications, marketing, stakeholder relations, and community engagement, with the majority of her career spent in the post-secondary sector. A trusted leader and accomplished strategist, Jennifer is committed to collaborative, integrated, and inclusive leadership, and making a positive impact on advancing organizational missions while developing teams. Beyond her daily professional focus, Jennifer has dedicated countless hours to mentoring next-generation leaders and teaching various courses in professional communications and public relations. She holds an undergraduate degree in art history (honours) and museum studies from the University of Alberta as well as a post-graduate diploma in public relations from MacEwan University. Her graduate research (MA, University of Alberta) focused on how and why scientists use social media to communicate, exploring the interface of communications theory and technology.

Andrew Perrin

Our culture, society, and communities need discoveries that matter, ideas designed for impact, creations that inspire, and innovations that go beyond the imaginable. As associate vice-president, research, Dr. Andrew Perrin is committed to cultivating a thriving research community at AU, leading research strategy and opportunity development, and overseeing the Research Office team. Andrew is an internationally recognized scholar of cultural studies, a past Canada Research Chair, and fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He lives and works on Treaty 7 territory.

Pauline Smeltz

Pauline Smeltz joined Athabasca University in 2019 as the deputy chief human resources officer and assumed the position of chief human resources officer in Aug. 2023.

She has been actively engaged in key strategic initiatives and operational transformation efforts to accelerate growth and strengthen our values-based culture, both internally within HR and across the organization.

She brings over 20 years of experience leading HR efforts in public, private, and not-for-profit sectors where she specialized in organizational and workforce transformation, organizational culture, labour relations, and change management to improve performance and growth.

Smeltz holds a bachelor of arts and a master of arts from the University of Bombay, and a master of business administration in human resources from Royal Roads University.

Bailey Sousa

Prior to working at AU, Bailey was at the University of Alberta for 13 years in a variety of senior roles focused on leading complex projects, teams, change management, strategy, and operations. In 2021 she was seconded to the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education to establish the Minister’s Advisory Council on Higher Education and Skills, and the Premier’s Council on Skills and their Secretariats. Bailey is also the co-founder of the Effective, Successful, Happy Academic, and co-author of How to Be a Happy Academic (Sage: London, 2018). Bailey’s research and contributions relate to aspects of academic work including: workplace and academic effectiveness, incorporating values, successful failure, growth mindset, leadership, strategic planning, qualitative methods, and teamwork in complex settings. She writes, speaks, and facilitates workshops in these areas. Bailey holds an MA in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Royal Roads University, and an international designation as a Project Management Professional.

Catherine Swindlehurst

With more than 20 years of experience in senior and executive academic leadership, Catherine brings invaluable experience to AU. Through a range of roles with the University of Alberta and the University of Cambridge—including Chief Strategy Officer and Interim Vice-President (University Relations), among others—Catherine's expertise spans strategic planning, fund and business development, strategic communications, issues and change management, stewardship, government relations, and community engagement.

Catherine has developed a strong reputation for her collegial approach to create and implement results-driven, strategic, multi-disciplinary partnerships and initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion in growth. A certified executive coach, she holds her BA, MA, and MBA from the University of Alberta, as well as her PhD from the University of Cambridge, U.K.

Tyler Tollefson

Tyler is an experienced lawyer and an accomplished corporate governance executive with a strong reputation as a trusted advisor and a team-focused leader who successfully builds and maintains collaborative relationships. Tyler served for several years as General Counsel and Vice-President (Legal Representation) for Legal Aid Alberta. He has provided senior executive operational and legal leadership in support of a Fortune 500 executive leadership team, as well as boards, committees, and projects in the technology, finance, and energy sectors.

A certified executive coach, Tyler earned a B.Sc. (Biology) and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Saskatchewan and went on to earn MBA degrees from Cornell University and Queens University.

In addition to his work experience, Tyler brings a wealth of community engagement and volunteer experience, most recently serving as the Small Business Chair for the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way Alberta Capital Region.

Lisa Watson

Dr. Lisa Watson (she/her) is dean and associate professor of marketing. She taught her first university course at the age of 25 at Carleton University before spending 5 years in Australia pursuing her doctorate. Upon her return to Canada, she spent 16 years working on Treaty 4 land at the University of Regina as a faculty member and then associate dean before joining AU in 2022. She is a consumer psychologist who studies decision-making and behaviour change in order to identify ways to help people make healthier and more sustainable choices.

Ray Welshman

Ray Welshman is a collaborative and experienced executive accomplished in building and leading diverse teams in complex organizations. A leader who embraces change and thrives in organizations that are dynamic and entrepreneurial, Ray is an engaged people-leader who gets great satisfaction in developing and leading high-performing talent.

Ray started his career in the Canadian military in 1986. In 1990, he helped develop and eventually lead one of the first IT departments in the Canadian Army. Ray built his leadership skills through successive training and operational deployments, including the first Gulf War, the United Nations, and NATO/NORAD. He successfully applies the skills and experiences gained there to this day.

In his civilian career, Ray has held senior leadership roles in telcos, government, health, consulting, publicly traded, and private industry. His recent roles include Senior Vice-President Business Technology and Enterprise Risk at Alcanna Inc. and Senior Vice-President Information Systems Enablement at Servus Credit Union.

Ray is currently the president and owner of Welshman Consulting Services, realizing his career ambition to bring his 30 years of experience to bear in a consulting firm.

He and his wife, Carol, have 3 children and currently live in Edmonton, Alberta.

Shauna Zenteno

Dr. Shauna Zenteno is the dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, and an associate professor, Biology at Athabasca University. She is the former program director for the BSc Human Science program and the former chair, Centre for Science. In her 18 years at AU, she has also held the roles of vice-dean, operations in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. She participates in a number of external partnerships and is the Athabasca University representative on the NSERC leader’s network. Shauna is a member of the Athabasca River Basin Research Institute. Her research is focused on the metagenomics of microbial communities in northern Alberta water as a determinant of aquatic system health, in collaboration with Bigstone Cree Nation and researchers at AU and the University of Calgary.