Dr. Usha George
Dr. Usha George, a Professor in the School of Social Work at Ryerson University and the current Academic Director of the Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement, is recognized for her expertise in newcomer settlement and integration. George is the former Interim Vice President of Research and Innovation and the Dean of the Faculty of Community Services. In 2015, she was awarded the Errol Aspevig Award for Outstanding Academic Leadership. George came to Ryerson in 2006 from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, where she had previously been the Associate Dean. She is the past director of the Ontario Metropolis Centre of Excellence for Immigration and Settlement. Her main areas of teaching, research, and professional activity are social work with diverse communities, and newcomer settlement and integration, with an emphasis on examining policies and programs to ensure newcomers have the supports they need to settle and become contributing members to Canadian society. Her scholarly work has attracted over $14 million CAD in research grants and contracts. She is well published and is often sought by the media for her views on immigration. George immigrated to Canada in 1990 and worked as the Executive Director of the then-South Asian Family Support Services in Scarborough and as the Senior Program Director of Social Planning Council, Toronto. George has a PhD in Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; a MA in Sociology from Loyola University of Chicago; and a MA in Sociology and Social Welfare from the University of Kerala.