our team
principal investigator
Victoria F. Burns, Phd. (She/Her)
Dr. Victoria Burns is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary (UCalgary), and the founder and director of the UCalgary Recovery Community (UCRC), and Recovery on Campus Alberta (ROC). She is a qualitative researcher specialized in place-based, social justice approaches.
Her current research activities include: recovery meanings and pathways, harm reduction, recovery justice, politics of disclosing stigmatized identities, collegiate recovery, recovery-friendly workplaces particularly in post-secondary contexts.
andrew szeto, Phd.(He/Him
Dr. Andrew Szeto is currently the Director of the Office of Institutional Commitments at the University of Calgary. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary and also a Principal Investigator at the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Dr. Szeto’s research involves the development, implementation, and evaluation of mental illness stigma reduction and mental health promotion programs for various audiences across Canada. He also conducts research and publishes on various topics related to post-secondary mental health and the stigma of mental illness.
research assistants
Chelsie Graham, BSW, RSW (She/Her)
Chelsie is the Manager of Recovery On Campus Alberta and UCalgary Recovery Community. She is a registered social worker, and a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work program at the U of C. Her work history centered previously around disability support and has since evolved to other avenues of advocacy for the dignity of people. She encountered Victoria Burns in a Self and Social Care Class during her studies and was introduce to the UCRC in the last year of her studies. This introduction changed the course of her career, her attitudes towards recovery, and problematic substance use, and brought her gladly to this project.
Renaud Gom, Phd. (He/Him)
Dr. Renaud Gom is a Research Associate dedicated to maximizing the impact of community-driven recovery research through his work with the Recovering in Place Lab. He completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute, where his research focused on understanding persistent changes in emotionality resulting from disorders of the brain. Dr. Gom’s current work emphasizes ensuring that recovery initiatives, including Recovery on Campus programs, are evidence-based and effectively meet the needs of diverse communities. His dedication contributes significantly to developing initiatives that promote understanding, reduce stigma, and build supportive communities for individuals in or seeking recovery
AMRIT MATHAROO, MSW, RSW (She/Her)
Amrit is the Recovery Support Specialist with the UCalgary Recovery Community and Recovery On Campus Alberta. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and brings years of experience supporting youth and young adults in care and in community. Her work spans frontline support, systems navigation, and community-based research, with a deep commitment to creating spaces of belonging and dignity for those often pushed to the margins. Amrit’s connection to recovery is rooted in both personal and professional experience, and she brings this lived insight to her role, walking alongside students and staff in their recovery journeys with care, respect, and compassion.
Ashley ethier,
Coming Soon
Isaac Wright, RSW (he/him)
Isaac Wright is a graduate student in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, where his research focuses on peer support by and for trans people living with suicidality. He has been a part-time research assistant with Recovery on Campus since September 2024. As a distance student, he lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he is a social worker at the University of King's College.