Dr. Audrey Jamal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and the interim Assistant Dean (Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact) in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.
Jamal is a community-engaged researcher. Her research focuses on the role of community engagement in advancing local economic development. Jamal’s research aims to build stronger, more resilient communities and looks at everything from community wealth building to newcomer integration, downtown renewal and the sharing economy. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo and holds a M.A. in Conflict Analysis and Management.
Jamal is currently collaborating with the Shorefast Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Urban Institute to analyze place-based strategies that activate local economies in five communities across Canada – from Victoria to Fogo Island. Her research also explores the important role of small and mid-sized cities in implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prior to joining Lang, Jamal served as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at the University of Guelph. In this role, she was focused on advancing campus-wide sustainability initiatives and U of G earned the prestigious Gold rating through the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS) program. She has previously held executive roles in the not-for-profit sector and has an extensive background in project management, fundraising and community engagement.
What is a community benefit agreement?
The Conversation covers:
– Introduce yourself, some of your research interests, and your role at U of Guelph.
– Smokestack Chasing vs Inclusive Economic Development – differences, history, pros and cons.
– Your findings from your research on Mid-sized cities in Ontario
– University’s role in Economic Development – Ivory Towers that are insular vs Community change agents
– If a municipality reached out asking for advice on first steps to do more inclusive economic development what would you advise?
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