Alvina Cassiani

Senior Dean of Canada’s foremost collegiate-level Faculty of Business, Alvina Cassiani, MA, PhD, is responsible for developing and managing a diverse portfolio of diploma, bachelor degree and postgraduate programs that meet the needs of a multicultural student body. Alvina is an experienced innovator willing to take risks to strengthen teaching excellence and academic reputation.

In 2019, Alvina led the restructuring of the Faculty of Business, which saw the successful transition of the culinary, hospitality, tourism and sport programs into the Faculty of Business. Alvina shifted the overall focus of the Faculty of Business into an interdisciplinary structure that established learning connections between diverse disciplines and subject matter experts to improve the experiential learning environment.

Within the walls of Humber College, Alvina has led initiatives that foster the best possible student experience. Highlights include the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE), The Fashion Institute, The Trading Floor, Humber Golf Lab, Moot Court Room, the Accounting Centres at North and Lakeshore campuses, and the Humber Spa. These facilities support student work integrated learning while also connecting students with key industry partners.

Over the years, Alvina has forged successful partnerships with several institutions around the world including China, Indonesia, Bhutan, Denmark, The Netherlands and Italy to provide global learning opportunities for both students and faculty.

Prior to her current role, Alvina held a variety of increasingly senior positions in the human resources division at The Hudson’s Bay. The move to becoming a professor would see her work her way up through to Associate Dean and eventually Senior Dean of the Longo Faculty of Business, a position that she has held since 2005.

Significant achievements include successfully completing a PhD and defending a thesis relevant to her current position titled, “The Impact of Degree - Granting Requirements on Faculty Hiring Policies & Practices: A Case Study of Ontario’s Institutes of Technology and Applied Learning (ITALS);” as well as being honoured by Central Michigan University for significant leadership in Ontario Community Colleges with the “Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2006.

Under Alvina’s strategic leadership the Longo Faculty of Business has gained the reputation of providing preeminent education to future entrepreneurs, business leaders and global citizens.

Associate Deans - Longo Faculty of Business