Professeur / Professor

Research Interests

Prior to joining the University of Ottawa, I spent 18 years as a researcher in a number of federal government departments including, The Secretary of State, Multiculturalism and Citizenship, Canadian Heritage, and, Human Resources and Social Development.   My primary research focus is on diversity, with a goal toward assessing the socioeconomic characteristics of language, immigrant and ethnic groups in Canadaand other settler societies.

Much of my research has been quantitative in nature, using a variety of data sources including census and other micro datasets, immigration intake records, and special surveys to measure group differences. Part of this work involves assessing the degree to which native-born minorities face earnings differentials.  This work suggests that non-white minorities, even those born in Canada face substantial earnings penalties after controlling for basic personal characteristics. Other work has attempted to study the relationship between interaction and participation (social capital) and ethnicity. 

My current research interests lie in linking social capital attributes to outcomes for minorities in Canada, the United States and Europe. My goal is to explore the interrelationships key to social inclusion – those of social separation, social interaction and social and economic outcomes.  I am interested in the consequences of a series of key social choices: living and interacting within or outside an ethnic group (social capital), living within or outside a residential ethnic enclave and the impact these interactions have on social outcomes such as wellbeing and occupational success.