Research Area Lead with the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration program at Toronto Metropolitan University
Marshia is a Senior Research Associate with the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration Program at Ryerson University. Her research broadly encompasses economic and social integration of migrants in Canada. She is particularly interested in analyzing how migration and settlement policies shape the labour market integration of migrants across Canadian cities. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research findings have been published as journal articles and web-based reports.
- Preston, V. and Akbar, M. (in press). Gender, Immigration, Essential Work, and Resilience, in Resilience and Integrating International Migrants in Cities in Canada, edited by V. Preston, J. Shields, T. Bedard, and N. Sultana. McGill-Queen's University Press.
- Preston, V., Shields, J. and Akbar, M (in press). Conceptualizing Social Resilience: Migrants, COVID-19 and the Case of Non-profit Settlement Agencies, in Resilience and Integrating International Migrants in Cities in Canada, edited by V. Preston, J. Shields, T. Bedard, and N. Sultana. McGill-Queen's University Press.
- Akbar, M. and Preston, V. (submitted). Looking at the numbers: Who are transitioning to permanent status among international students in Canada? in Leaving to Learn: Mapping the place of resilience in the journeys of international students, edited by S. Ghosh and L. Veronis, McGill-Queen's University Press.
- Preston, V., Shield, J., and Akbar, M. (2021). Migration and Resilience in Urban Canada: Why Resilience? Why Now? A BMRC Research Digest, Knowledge Mobilization for Settlement, 2021.
- Akbar,M. (2020) Immigrants and resilience
- Akbar,M(2020). Building system resilience
- Akbar, M. and Preston, V. (2020) The Social Characteristics of Temporary Foreign Workers Living in Ontario and Quebec, BMRC
- Akbar, M. and Preston, V. (2020) The Social Characteristics of International Students in Ontario and Quebec
- Preston, V., Akbar, M., Bedard, T., Hutfless, I. and Wayland, S. (2020) Building System Resilience: Learning from Local Immigration Partnership’s Environmental Scans and Service Inventories
- Akbar, M. (2019). Examining the Factors that Affect the Employment Status of Racialised Immigrants: A Study of Bangladeshi Immigrants in Toronto, Canada. South Asian Diaspora, 11(1), 67-87.
- Akbar, M and Preston, V. (2019) Migration and Resilience, Exploring the Stock of Knowledge: Review of Literature 2000-2016, BMRC Working Paper, June 2019
- Akbar, M. Ray, B., Rose, D. and and Preston, V. (2019) Industry of Employment by Immigration Status: A Comparison of Major Cities in Ontario and Quebec, BMRC Report 2, April 2019
- Akbar, M. and Charles, N. (2019) How Did Immigrants Admissions Changed in Canada? BMRC.
- Akbar, M., Ray, B. and Preston, V. (2018) Trends in Immigration Class: Census 2016, BMRC Report 1, March 2018 .
- Kelly, P., Park, S., and Akbar. M. (2011) Profile of Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Immigrants to Canada, 1996-2009, TEIDI Analytical Report 26, September 2011.
- Preston, V., Phan, M., Akbar, M. Park, S. and Kelly, P. (2011) How does Full/Part-Time Employment Affect Labour Market Outcomes Over Time?, TIEDI Analytical Report 25, September 2011
- Preston, V., Akbar, M, Phan, M., Park, S. and Kelly, P. (2011) Continuity of Employment for Immigrants during the First Four Years in Canada, TIEDI Analytical Report 24, August, 2011
- The social characteristics and employment outcomes of immigrants and temporary migrants in Ontario and Quebec: A comparative study
- Exploring Montreal's Informal Settlement
Presentations
- Preston, V., Shields, J., & Akbar, M. (2023, March). Social Resilience, Migrants and COVID-19. Presentation for National Metropolis Conference, March 16, 2023.
- Akbar, M. (2022, April). Looking at Numbers: International Students in Ontario and Quebec. International Students and their Resilience webinar on Mapping the journeys of international students' resilience, April 2022.
- Preston, V. & Akbar, M. (2022, April). Immigration, Gender, Essential Work, and Resilience. International Students and their Resilience webinar on Mapping the journeys of international students' resilience, April 2022.
- Preston, V., Shields, J., & Akbar, M. (2022, February). Social Resilience: The Case of Migrants and COVID-19. In Presentation for Newcomer Resilience and COVID-19: Settlement Policies and Programs BMRC-IRMU webinair, February 23, 2022.
- Preston, V. & Akbar, M. (2021, June). Immigration, Gender, Essential Work, and Resilience. In Migrant Resilience in Canadian Cities: People, Institutions and Policies webinar on Resilience and earning a living. June 9, 2021.
- Migrant Women in Essential Work, The BMRC Webinar on Migrant Resilience in Canadian Cities: People, Institutions and Policies (online), June 9, 2021, York University, Toronto.
- Resilience of the Service Provider Sectors during Covid-19 Pandemic, the National Metropolis Summit (online), November 12-13, 2020, Canada
- International Students: The Pathways to Permanent Residency, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Annual Conference 2020, November 16-17, 2020, Ottawa, Canada.
Academic Appointments
- 2017-2019: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, York University. Building Migrant Resilience in Cities in Canada-Immigration et resilience en milieu urbain (BMRC-IRMU). Funded by the SSHRC Partnership Grant.
Research Positions
- Research Collaborator, BMRC: Building Migrant Resilience in Cities/Immigration et résilience en milieu urbain, Received SSHRC Partnership Grants.
- Research Associate (May 2016-April 2017): Building Migrant Resilience in Cities in Canada-Immigration et resilience en milieu urbain (BMRC-IRMU), Department of Geography, York University, Toronto.
