President

Maya Reshef Kalogirou

RN, PhD
Maya Reshef Kalogirou

Background

Maya was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She has worked as a Registered Nurse for seven years and has a clinical background as an emergency room nurse. She is currently working as a nursing researcher, and her program of research relates to nurses, climate change, and health.

I respectfully acknowledge that, here in Edmonton, Alberta, I am located on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples including the Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/ Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, Inuit, and many others whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to influence my vibrant community.

Education

Maya graduated from MacEwan University in 2012 with a BScN, and in 2015 she initiated her graduate studies at the University of Alberta. In 2020, Maya successfully defended her doctoral thesis, which examined a) how Albertan nurses understood the relationships between climate change, health, and nursing practice, and b) how the hospital setting influenced nurses’ abilities to practice in environmentally responsible ways.

Career

Since becoming a Registered Nurse, Maya has worked exclusively in the emergency room. Maya is passionate about this area of practice as it offers an engaging level of complexity as well as a breakneck pace. Now that she has completed her doctorate, Maya is pursuing a career in academia.

Interests

While her clinical background is in acute care, her current interests relate to planetary health. More specifically, she is interested in understanding the relationship between the nursing profession and climate change, as well as examining and developing the role of nurses in relation to climate action.