Faculty & Staff

Marva J. Ferguson, PhD, RSW

Academic Title: Associate Professor

Areas of Instruction
Crisis counselling, mental and supervision, leadership and social justice, critical race and anti-racism studies, diverse theories, domestic and sexual violence, community/rural development, women and development studies, mental health, emergency and critical incident stress management

Degrees
PhD, Memorial University, Newfoundland & Labrador
MSW, University of Calgary
BSW, University of Calgary

Phone: 403.440.7083
Email: mferguson@mtroyal.ca

Ferguson, M. (2016), June's Story...Getting help after a sexual assault. In S. Hick and J. Stokes (Eds.). Social Work in Canada, 4th ed, p. 269 Toronto ON: Thompson

Marva is a social worker, advocate and educator. A graduate of the University of Calgary, she holds a BSW and MSW in social work specializing in Leadership in the Human Services, certificate in Disaster Management, and trainer/facilitator in Mental Health First Aid and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).
Marva's current interest is in anti-Black racism, anti-oppression, and critical race theory approaches to social work practice. She encourages students to stay curious and to question knowledge continuously.
Marva’s current research interest is in sequence migration with a focus on The Personal Stories of Jamaican Adults who migrated to Canada as Children.
Other teaching and research interest include: " Voices of Immigrants and Refugees in Disaster Management"; "Equity in Education"; " Transnational Feminisms"; "The role of Parents/Grandparents in Family Structures"; "Gender and Sexual Diversity"; " The Complexity of Caregiving from Afar"

Marva sticks close to her Jamaica roots and organises the "Quick Response Project" that provides resources for individuals struggling with the outcome of COVID-19.

Areas of Instruction

  • Counselling Skills 
  • Introduction to Social Work Practice
  • Social Work Knowledge and Skills for Group Work 
  • Social Work Assessment and Documentation
  • Interpersonal Communication

Areas of Scholarship 

  • Voices of Immigrants and Refugees in Disaster Management
  • Equity in Education
  • Transnational Feminisms
  • The Role of Parents/Grandparents in Family Structures
  • The Complexity of Caregiving from Afar

Selected Publications 

Ferguson, M. (2016), June's Story...Getting help after a sexual assault. In S. Hick and J. Stokes (Eds.). Social Work in Canada, 4th ed, p. 269 Toronto ON: Thompson