BIOGRAPHY

Leah K. Hamilton (she/her) is Vice Dean, Research and Community Relations and Professor in the Faculty of Business, Communication Studies and Aviation at Mount Royal University. She is a community-engaged scholar who works with newcomer communities and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to better understand the impacts of policies and programs. She also researches public attitudes toward immigrants and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Her research is funded by SSHRC.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Recognition and Awards

Research Recognition Award, Undergraduate Research Supervision, Mount Royal University (2022)

Distinguished Faculty Award, Mount Royal University, 2017

Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Best Paper Award 2016, Management Education Division

Teaching Experience

Organizational Behaviour
Leadership Development
Research Methods for Business
Social Psychology
The Psychology of People in the Workplace

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY WORK

Sample Publications and Major Contributions

Ju, R., Hamilton, L., & Shi, S. (2026). Strategic communication for social inclusion: How immigrant entrepreneurs navigate barriers to markets, services, and spaces. International Small Business Journal.

Grant, N., Hamilton, L.K., & *Ormita, J. (2025). Improving Comprehension of Consent Forms in Online Research: An Empirical Test of Four Interventions. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics.

Hamilton, L K., El Hazzouri, M., Ari, E., & Banerjee, P. (2024). Anti-stigma mental health advertisements can create backlash for racialized immigrants. Stigma & Health.

Esses, V., Sutter, A., Hamilton, L.K., Bilodeau, A., *Palma, P., Lacassagne, A., Neuman, K., & Gaucher, D. (2024). Migrant Inclusion in Small and Medium-Sized Canadian Towns and Rural Areas. Canadian Ethnic Studies.

Esses, V., Hamilton, L.K., Aslam, A., & Barros, P.R.P. (2023). Measuring welcoming communities: A toolkit for communities and those who support them. Pathways to Prosperity Partnership. 71pp plus 4 tools.

Rabiah-Mohammed, F., Hamilton, L.K., Oudshoorn, A., Bakhash, M. Z., Tarraf, R., Arnout, E., Brown, C., Benbow, S., Elnihum, S., El Hazzouri, M., Esses, V., & Theriault, L. (2022). Syrian refugees’ experiences of housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic: Barriers to integration and just solutions. Studies in Social Justice, 16(1), 9-32.

Esses, V., McRae, J., Alboim, N., Brown, N., Friesen, C., Hamilton, L.K., Lacassagne, A., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2021, March). Supporting Canada’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery Through Robust Immigration Policies and Programs. Report prepared for the Royal Society of Canada.    

Ju, R., Hamilton, L.K., & McLarnon, M. (2021). The Medium is the Message: WeChat, YouTube, and Facebook Usage and Acculturation Outcomes. International Journal of Communication, 15, 4011-4033.

Esses, V. M., & Hamilton, L.K. (2021). Xenophobia and anti-immigrant attitudes in the time of COVID19. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(2), 253-259.

Hamilton, L. K., Veronis, L., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2020). A National Project: Syrian Refugee Resettlement in Canada. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

El Hazzouri, M., & Hamilton, L. K. (2019). Why Us?! Ethnic Minority Members’ Reactions to Public Health Advertising Featuring their Own Ethnic Group. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 38(3), 372-390.

Hamilton, L. K., Boman, J., Rubin, H., & Sahota, B. (2019). Examining the impact of a university mentorship program on student attitudinal and motivational outcomes. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 8(1), 19-36.

Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., & Gaucher, D. (2019). The role of attitudes in migration. In D. Albarracin & B. Johnson (Eds.), Handbook of Attitudes (pp. 455-487). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Hamilton, L. K., McCafferty, B., & Esses, V. M. (2018, July). Connecting international talent with local champions: An examination of the outcomes of CRIEC’s mentorship strategy. Report written for Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council. 43pp.

Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., & Gaucher, D. (2017). The global refugee crisis: Empirical evidence and policy implications for improving public attitudes and facilitating refugee resettlement. Social Issues and Policy Review, 11(1), 78-123.

Drolet, J., Hamilton, L. K., Esses, V. M., & Wright, J. (2016, May). Geographies of (Im)migration to Canada and Alberta: Improving understanding of social and economic determinants driving migration patterns. Report written for Government of Alberta.

Esses, V., Ravanera, Z., Hamilton, L. K., Drolet, J., Sutter, A., Medianu, S., & Tarraf, R. (2016, May). Improving refugee outcomes in Alberta and Canada: An analysis of integration challenges and strategies for improving economic, social, and civic/political integration. Report written for Government of Alberta.

Hamilton, L. K., Boman, J., & Rubin, H. (2015, December). Transformational mentorship experiences for university undergraduate students and their mentors: Outcomes of the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program. Report written for Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program, Mount Royal University.

Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., Ravanera, Z., Lavoie, C., & Lacassagne, A. (2015). Design and validation of a survey instrument to assess the attraction, retention, and integration of Official Language Minority Immigrants in Canada. Report written for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Dietz, J., Joshi, C., Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., & Gabarrot, F. (2015). The skill paradox: Explaining and reducing employment discrimination against skilled immigrants. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(10), 1318-1334.

Hamilton, L. K., Medianu, S., & Esses, V. M. (2013). Towards an understanding of immigration as a defining feature of the 21st century. In A. Golec de Zavala & A. Cichocka (Eds.), Social psychology of social problems: The intergroup context (pp. 82-111). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers.

Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., Wilkinson, L., Zong, L., Bramadat, J., & Bucklaschuk (2013). Western Settlement Outcomes Survey. Report written for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Western Region.

Meyer, J. P., & Hamilton, L. K. (2013). Commitment to organizational change: Theory, research, principles and practice. In R. T. By, S. Oreg, & A. Michel (Eds.), The psychology of organizational change: Viewing change from the employee's perspective (pp. 43-64). Cambridge University Press.

Finch, D. J., Hamilton, L. K., Baldwin, R., & Zehner, M. (2013). An exploratory study of factors affecting undergraduate employability. Education & Training, 55(7), 681-704.

Research Grants

2025-2027. Tracing the impacts of the anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation in Alberta on queer families ($75,000; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Development Grant). Investigators: Hamilton, L. K., & Mason, C. L.

2022-2023. Co-Designing Effective Public Health Advertisements with Newcomer Women ($24,283; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Engage Grant). Investigators: Hamilton, L.K.,, El Hazzouri, M., & Banerjee, P.

2019-2020. Understanding Chinese Immigrants' Use of Social Media as a Communication Tool in the Acculturation Process. ($20,924; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Engagement Grant). Investigators: Ju, R., & Hamilton, L.K.

2018-2019. Best practices for effective targeted public health communications. ($7,986; Pathways to Prosperity Research Partnership – funded by SSHRC). Investigators: El Hazzouri, M., Hamilton, L. K., & Main, K.

2018-2023. Long term housing outcomes of under-housed Syrian refugees. ($94,075; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant). Investigators: Oudshoorn, A., Hamilton, L. K., El Hazzouri, M., Esses, V., Brown, C., & Teriault, L.

2016-2017. Optimizing the Provision of Information to Facilitate the Settlement and Integration of Refugees in Canada: Case Studies of Syrian Refugees in London, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. ($23,560; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada -Targeted Rapid Response Research on Syrian Refugees). Investigators: Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., Pyati, A., & El Hazzouri, M.

2015-2017. Using attributional retraining to improve skilled immigrants' labour market outcomes. ($74,732; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Development Grant). Investigators: Hamilton, L. K., & Esses, V. M.

2014-2018. Optimizing the provision of information to facilitate the settlement and integration of immigrants in Canada. ($279,260; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant). Investigators: Esses, V. M., Hamilton, L. K., & Pyati, A.

2013-2016. Return on Mentoring. ($27,360; Harry G. Schaefer Grant for Interdisciplinary Team Research on Student Mentorship, Mount Royal University). Investigators: Hamilton, L. K., Varella, P., & Boman, J.

Public Scholarship

Hamilton, L., Mason, C. L., & Jakubiec, B. (2026, August 6). Canada is becoming less accepting of gender diversity, new Statistics Canada data shows. The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/canada-is-becoming-less-accepting-of-gender-diversity-new-statistics-canada-data-shows-285031

Hamilton, L., &  Mason, C. L. (2025, September 10). Just Like That, Alberta Is Less Safe for Girls. The Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/09/10/Alberta-Less-Safe-Girls/

Hamilton, L., Mason, C., & Weber, G. (2025, June 22). Why corporations are backing away from supporting Pride this year. The Conversation.
Hamilton, L., & Mason, C. (2024 Dec 2). In Alberta, Queer Families Are ‘Not OK.’ The Tyee.

Hamilton, L.K., & Mason, C.L. (2024, June 13). 10 ways to support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth this Pride Month. The Conversation.
 
Hamilton, L.K., & Su, Y. (2024, January 25). International students cap falsely blames them for Canada’s housing and health-care woes. The Conversation.

Hamilton, L.K., & Neuman, K. (2024, January 7). What’s behind the dramatic shift in Canadian public opinion about immigration levels? The Conversation.

Mason, C., & Hamilton, L.K. (2023, September 20). How the ‘parental rights’ movement gave rise to the 1 Million March 4 Children. The Conversation.

Hamilton, L.K., Aslam, A., Prado Barros, P., & Esses, V. (2023, June 29). As Canada welcomes historic numbers of immigrants, how can communities be more welcoming? The Conversation.

Hamilton, L.K., Mason, C.L., & Shankar, I. (2023, May 23). In the Alberta election, the stakes are high for 2SLGBTQ+youth. The Conversation.

Hamilton, L.K., Veronis, L., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2022). How Operation Syrian Refugees Informs Canada’s Responses to Current and Future Refugee Crises. Canadian Studies.

Shankar, I., Hamilton, L., & Mason, C. (2022, October 21). Opinion: UCP resolutions banning diversity, sexuality education are deeply troubling. Edmonton Journal.

Hamilton, L., Banerjee, P., & Rabiah-Mohammed, F. (2022, February 22). “I am back to square one”: How COVID-19 has impacted recently resettled Yazidi and Syrian refugees. The Conversation. 

Hamilton, L., Shankar, S., & El Hazzouri, M. (2021, March 26). Why university marketing/communications offices need to hire critical race theory experts. University Affairs.

Hamilton, L., Shankar, S., & El Hazzouri, M. (2020, December 2). Opinion: Northeast Calgary needs elimination of structural racism, not a ‘wake-up call.’ Calgary Herald. 

Esses, V., Hamilton, L., & Lacassagne, A. (2020, November 6). We should not be complacent about Canadians’ welcoming attitudes toward immigrants. The Globe and Mail. 

Hamilton, L. K., Veronis, L., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2019, December 2). Syrian refugees in Canada: Four years after the welcome. The Conversation. 

El Hazzouri, M., & Hamilton, L. (2019, July 23). Public health authorities need to reassess how they market to racialized groups. The Conversation.