Meet our dedicated team who work tirelessly to improve the lives of Canadians and their families. Together, Institute staff, researchers and our growing network of Senior Fellows from around the world have helped make us the top think tank in Canada.
Elmira Aliakbari
Director, Natural Resource Studies, Fraser Institute
Elmira Aliakbari is Director of the Centre for Natural Resource Studies at the Fraser Institute. She received a Ph.D. in Economics
from the University of Guelph, and M.A. and B.S. degrees in Economics, both from the University of Tehran in Iran. She has studied public policy involving energy and the environment for nearly eight years. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Ms. Aliakbari was Director of Research, Energy, Ecology and Prosperity with the Frontier Center for Public Policy. She has presented her work at many academic conferences and has been published in the prestigious academic journal Energy Economics. Ms. Aliakbari’s research has been discussed in prominent media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, and her commentaries have appeared in major Canadian and American newspapers such as the Globe and Mail, Washington Times, National Post, and Financial Post.
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Jason Clemens
Executive Vice President, Fraser Institute
Jason Clemens is the Executive Vice President of the Fraser Institute and the President of the Fraser Institute Foundation. He
has an Honors Bachelors Degree of Commerce and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Windsor as well as a Post Baccalaureate Degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University. Before rejoining the Fraser Institute in 2012, he was the director of research and managing editor at the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute and prior to joining the MLI, Mr. Clemens spent a little over three years in the United States with the San Francisco-based Pacific Research Institute. He has published over 70 major studies on a wide range of topics, including taxation, government spending, labor market regulation, banking, welfare reform, health care, productivity, and entrepreneurship. He has published over 300 shorter articles, which have appeared in such newspapers as The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Washington Post, Globe and Mail, National Post, and a host of U.S., Canadian, and international newspapers. Mr. Clemens has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs across Canada and the United States. He has appeared before committees of both the House of Commons and the Senate in Canada as an expert witness and briefed state legislators in California. In 2006, he received the coveted Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award presented by Caldwell Partners as well as an Odyssey Award from the University of Windsor. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book The Canadian Century. In 2012, the Governor General of Canada on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, presented Mr. Clemens with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to the country.
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Joel Emes
Senior Economist, Fraser Institute
Joel Emes is a Senior Economist, Addington Centre for Measurement, at the Fraser Institute. Joel started his career with the
Fraser Institute and rejoined after a stint as a senior analyst, acting executive director and then senior advisor to British Columbia’s provincial government. Joel initiated and led several flagship projects in the areas of tax freedom and government performance, spending, debt, and unfunded liabilities. He supports many projects at the Institute in areas such as investment, equalization, school performance and fiscal policy. Joel holds a B.A. and an M.A. in economics from Simon Fraser University.
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Jake Fuss
Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute
Jake Fuss is Director of Fiscal Studies for the Fraser Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master’s Degree in
Public Policy from the University of Calgary. Mr. Fuss has written commentaries appearing in major Canadian newspapers including the Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, and National Post. His research covers a wide range of policy issues including government spending, debt, taxation, labour policy, and charitable giving.
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Nathaniel Li
Senior Economist, Fraser Institute
Nathaniel Li is a Senior Economist at the Fraser Institute. He holds a B.A. from the Fudan University in China and
a Ph.D. in Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Guelph. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, he worked for the University of Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow and the University of Guelph as a research associate. His past research work has been published in many high-quality, peer-reviewed academic journals, including the Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural Economics, Preventive Medicine, and Canadian Public Policy. His current research covers a wide range of issues in fiscal, education, and labour-market policies.
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Hugh MacIntyre
Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
Hugh MacIntyre is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Fraser Institute. He holds an M.Sc. in Political Science from the
University of Edinburgh, a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Economics from Simon Fraser University, and an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto. Mr. MacIntyre has published over 25 studies and has written over 80 original commentaries appearing in national and regional media outlets including the Globe & Mail and the National Post. His research covers a wide range of economic policy issues including taxation, government finances, government performance, public-private partnerships, labour policy, income mobility, poverty, and charitable giving.
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Paige MacPherson
Associate Director, Education Policy
Paige MacPherson is Associate Director of Education Policy for the Fraser Institute. For many years, Paige has contributed policy analysis
and commentary to major media outlets and research organizations across Canada, focusing on education policy, fiscal policy and government accountability. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Calgary School of Public Policy and a BA from Dalhousie University. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Paige was Alberta Director and Atlantic Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, TV host and politics reporter with Sun Media and provided communications for the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, where she founded a post-secondary student outreach program. Paige’s work has taken her from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
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Mackenzie Moir
Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
Mackenzie Moir is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Fraser Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from
York University and a Master of Science in Health Policy and Research from the University of Alberta. Mr Moir has previous clinical experience and has provided direct care in general medicine, palliative care, cardiology, oncology, and neurology settings. In addition to several academic publications, his commentaries have appeared in University Affairs, the Financial Post, and Globe and Mail. His research focuses on the performance of health-care systems, patient choice, and health-related quality of life.
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Niels Veldhuis
President, Fraser Institute
Niels Veldhuis serves as President of the Fraser Institute, Canada’s most influential think tank.In his over 20-plus-year career in public
policy, Niels has authored six books and more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on a wide range of economic topics. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book, The Canadian Century.Highly regarded for his opinions and perspectives on major economic and social issues, Niels appears regularly in the media across Canada and the United States. He has written hundreds of commentaries that have appeared in over 50 newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, Wall Street Journal, National Post, and The Economist.Known for his ability to explain matters of economics and government policy in a down-to-earth and easily understood manner, Niels travels widely across North America. His speaking engagements extend to diverse audiences, including business groups, corporate gatherings, community organizations, and students.Niels has had the privilege of sharing the stage and moderating discussions with prominent business and political leaders from around the world. Notable individuals include Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. He has also moderated discussions with distinguished Canadian journalists such as Chantal Herbert, Andrew Coyne, and Rex Murphy, as well as diplomats such as Canada’s Ambassador to China and Israel’s Ambassador to Canada. Niels moderated a discussion between United States Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in 2011 and has facilitated conversations with impactful authors like Mosab Hassan Yousef (author of "Son of Hamas") and Lord Conrad Black.Niels Veldhuis is an alumnus of Simon Fraser University, was one of Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver in 2010, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).
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Alex Whalen
Director, Atlantic Canada Prosperity, Fraser Institute
Alex Whalen is Director, Atlantic Canada Prosperity with the Fraser Institute and coordinator of the activities of the Atlantic Canada division.
Prior to joining the Institute, Alex was Vice-President of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS), which merged with the Fraser Institute in 2019. He is a graduate of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, and the School of Business at the University of Prince Edward Island. He brings prior experience as an entrepreneur and business manager to his work at the Institute. His writing has appeared widely in newspapers including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Chronicle Herald, Telegraph Journal, Calgary Herald, and others.
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Consider a rewarding career in the world of ideas, and join the Fraser Institute’s dedicated staff who work together to improve the lives of Canadians and their families.