Have you met… Dr. Erika Nelson?

Assistant professor Dr. Erika Nelson (she/her) is a scholar-practitioner whose work focuses on educational leadership, digital identity, and professional sustainability. With 15 years of experience as a K-12 teacher and school leader, as well as time with the Alberta Ministry of Education, she brings a strong connection between research and practice. Her work explores how school leaders navigate professional identity in today’s highly visible, digitally connected environment.

Take a few minutes to get to know Dr. Nelson!

Tell us about yourself!

Hailing from the east coast of Canada, I have dedicated my career to education as a teacher, school leader, facilitator, civil servant, and assistant professor. I am deeply passionate about K-12 school leadership and supporting the individuals who carry that work forward each day. Principals and aspiring leaders constantly make complex decisions in spaces where policy meets practice. Grounded in a range of vantage points across the education sector, I bring a practical, comprehensive perspective to my teaching, research, and service.

What brought you to the U of A Faculty of Education?

I moved across the country in 2021 with my husband and two young boys to begin my PhD in Educational Policy Studies here at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. The people, the institution, and rigour were part of my decision to continue my career here, also, as I see endless potential in this faculty, particularly in my area of study of Educational Leadership.

What are your current research interests?

My research interests centre around identity and sustainability of school leadership in the digital world. Among others, netnography is a particular methodology near and dear to my heart. This involves immersion in online communities (social media, blogs, website comments etc.) and learning from those spaces where cultures also exist — just in a different way.

What inspired you to enter this field?

Like many researchers, my own experiences in school leadership and my continued conversations, interactions and relationships with those in the field fuel my passion for furthering research in Educational Leadership. My dissertation research focused on parents and the impact their online activities can have on K-12 principals; while I was able to shed light on some aspects of this phenomenon, I truly uncovered so many more questions that I can’t wait to spend more time diving into.

Describe your teaching philosophy.

Teaching is my heartwork. Teaching and learning are, to me, inseparable concepts. I learn just as much from the people who enter my classroom as I do from any text I assign. Teaching is an evolutionary practice — never the same twice — and I want my students to leave my courses equipped, empowered, and resilient enough to face the realities of contemporary educational leadership. That means treating the classroom as a bridge between theory and practice, where aspiring leaders learn to see themselves in the literature and the literature in their work. My teaching is informed by my own years navigating the grey areas of regulation, ethics, and professional identity. It means designing for accessibility and engagement rather than uniformity, whether I'm teaching rural school leaders online or urban undergraduates in person. And it means teaching the students actually in front of me, not the students the syllabus assumes, engaging difficult topics with care and without compromising rigour.

What is your favourite place on campus?

Does it have coffee? Yes? It’s my favourite place.

What interests you outside work?

Outside of work, you can find me with my family, friends and my fluffy golden retriever, Percy. Whether it’s mountain biking on the trails, running to multiple sports fields, checking out the vibrant food and drink scene in Edmonton, or hopping on a plane when schedules permit, I am always on the go and looking forward to the next adventure!

Photo by Laura Sou