Victoria Burns

Dr. Victoria Burns is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. She serves as Founder & Director of both the University of Calgary Recovery Community (UCRC) and Recovery on Campus Alberta, while also holding full memberships at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education and Hotchkiss Brain Institute. A registered social worker and recovery advocate, she brings over a decade of practice experience and lived expertise to her work.

Education:

• BA (Honors), University of New Brunswick (2004)
• BSW, McGill University (2007)
• MSW, McGill University (2010)
• PhD, McGill University (2016)

Research Focus: Her interdisciplinary work centers on addiction-recovery ecosystems, homelessness solutions, stigma reduction through arts-based methodologies, and community-engaged approaches. Primary domains include:

• Recovery-oriented systems design
• Housing-first interventions for vulnerable populations
• Critical disability studies
• Aging-in-place strategies
• Participatory action research frameworks

Awards & Honors:

• 2023: Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal (Government of Alberta)
• 2023: Research Excellence in Innovation Award (UCalgary Faculty of Social Work)

Leadership: Directs the Recovering in Place Lab developing community-based addiction interventions. Leads provincial initiatives through Recovery on Campus Alberta supporting 26 post-secondary institutions. Serves on UCalgary's Campus Mental Health Strategy committees and maintains clinical licensure with the Alberta College of Social Workers.