Moira McDonald

Dr. Moira McDonald is a scholar-practitioner with over two decades of experience in higher education, following a successful career in executive leadership roles within the corporate hotel and resort industry. She has expertly navigated the labour, financial, and market demands of the hospitality and tourism sectors, bringing a connected network of leaders and a wealth of practical knowledge to academia. As an active member of the Faculty Association, McDonald holds a Doctorate of Education and a Master of Arts in Tourism Management.

In 2023, McDonald received the Kelly Outstanding Teaching Award, underscoring her commitment to a team approach to learning and her innovative classroom engagement strategies, including technology, certifications, and case competitions. She approaches her teaching, learning, and research with a feminist lens and embodies a compassionate leadership style. At the 2023 International Leadership Association (ILA) global conference, McDonald co-presented research findings from an Appreciative Inquiry-based project on C-Suite pathways to success for women in the tourism and hospitality business with transferable recommendations for any business.

A strong advocate for effective workplace leadership, McDonald studies cultural preparedness in higher education through a transformative adult learning theory framework, challenging existing assumptions within academia. Her research, supported by various grants, including a MITACS Globalink Research Internship (GRI) grant, aims to understand adult learning processes better, drawing from international student experiences. This grant enabled her to work with a student from Colombia for three months on campus, concentrating on Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.

Within the Tourism Travel Research Association Canada, McDonald contributes to the inquiry of generative artificial intelligence (AI) use through the lens of responsible tourism practice and participant engagement principles, shaping this emerging field with thoughtful content, stories, and images. She brings this interdisciplinary perspective and dedication to her roles as School Director (since 2023) and Program Head (since 2016) in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, supporting innovative programming for undergraduate and graduate students.