Defence & Education
Questions at the intersection of education, labour markets, and military service have become an increasingly important part of my professional activities and research interests. I serve as a faculty lead for initiatives that seek to strengthen connections between the University of Toronto and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in the educational domain. I also serve on the University’s Defence Advisory Committee.
This work has developed along two complementary paths: supporting current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces in their educational journeys, and exploring research questions related to military personnel and labour markets.
Serving Scholars
I work closely with colleagues across the University of Toronto on the Serving Scholars Program, an initiative that seeks to better understand and support students who serve in either the Regular or Reserve Force of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The program aims to identify and address the opportunities and challenges associated with combining military service and university studies, while also helping to build stronger connections between the University and the military community.
Canadian Military, Veteran and Family Connected Campus Consortium
The University of Toronto is also a member of the Canadian Military, Veteran and Family Connected Campus Consortium (CMVF3C), a national network of universities and colleges focused on the intersections between military service and higher education.
The consortium’s work spans the lifecycle of service, including access to higher education during military service, educational transitions following release from the CAF, and the integration of veterans into civilian labour markets. Increasingly, it also recognizes the role that Canadian colleges and universities can play in building the educational capacity and human capital needed to support Canada’s security requirements.
Research Connections
These activities have, in turn, helped inform an emerging research agenda in personnel and defence economics. My current interests include recruitment, retention, compensation, and career trajectories within military organizations, particularly the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces more generally, as well as the broader relationship between military service, education, and labour market outcomes.