Derrick R. Mohamed, PhD

Associate Dean of Leadership; Assistant Professor of Leadership
I count it an honour to serve at TWU. My Christian faith informs my conviction that servant leadership is expressed through stewardship, authentic relationships and service to others.

Dr. Derrick Mohamed is Associate Dean of Leadership and Assistant Professor of Leadership at Trinity Western University (TWU), where he has also served as Acting Dean in 2024 and 2026. With more than 35 years in education, he has taught from Kindergarten through Grade 12 and at the postsecondary level. His career spans classroom teaching, school and university leadership, teacher development, academic administration and scholarship.

Before joining TWU, Derrick held educational leadership appointments in Alberta and British Columbia and taught in the Bachelor of Education program at St. Mary’s University in Calgary. He has contributed to Christian school governance, teacher certification, curriculum development and educational innovation. His commitment to experiential learning includes leading more than 20 international student service and learning trips.

His teaching and research focus on leadership, academic hospitality, international graduate education and student belonging. He combines academic rigour with relational care, helping students connect scholarship with lived experience. His Christian faith informs his understanding of leadership as stewardship and service and his commitment to creating conditions in which people can flourish.

Academic leadership and service at TWU
  • Associate Dean of Leadership: Academic and operational leadership in faculty support, course planning, student progression, program development and resource stewardship. Previously served as Assistant Dean, BA Leadership, and Associate Dean, MA Leadership.
  • Acting Dean (2024 and 2026): Assumed delegated academic and administrative responsibilities and represented the department at Deans’ Council during the Dean’s absence.
  • Director, Institute of Pedagogy for Deeper Learning: One of the institute’s directors; contributed to its inaugural conference in August 2026.
  • University service: Founding member of TWU’s Board of Governors’ Board of Advisors and member of its Commitment & Culture Committee; Faculty Professional Development committee and Davis teaching award selection; Department of Leadership Academic Leadership Team; graduate thesis examination chair (January and September 2022).
  • Teaching and curriculum development: Subject matter expert for LDRS 502, 624 and 626, including development of the LDRS 626 Moodle course environment. Supports faculty onboarding, mentoring and experiential leadership pedagogy.
Selected educational leadership and professional service
  • Pacific Academy, British Columbia (2015–2018): Assistant Head of School; Richmond Christian School (2018–2019): High School Principal; Glenmore Christian Academy, Calgary (2010–2015): Principal.
  • Master’s College, Calgary (1998–2010): High School Principal; helped establish and develop the high school and launched its overseas mission program. Queensway Christian College, Toronto (1991–1998): Science and Mathematics teacher and department head.
  • St. Mary’s University, Calgary (2011–2015): Adjunct Professor in Education. Also completed K–12 teaching assignments in Surrey and Abbotsford school districts before joining TWU full-time.
  • Association of Christian Schools International, Western Canada (ACSIWC): Board Member (2010–2015) and elected Board Chair (2012–2015); facilitated annual-conference workshops for school board members and administrators.
  • ACSI Western Canada Leadership Summer Institute: Co-founded with fellow board member Ray Sutton and taught in the one-week intensive for current and aspiring school administrators in 2014 and 2015. The inaugural institute was hosted at TWU in 2014.
  • Additional professional service: Elected Calgary-area representative on Palliser Public Regional Schools’ Economic Policy Committee (EPC); designated signing authority in Alberta’s independent school teacher certification process; professional development facilitator for ACSIWC and the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia.
International education and service

Derrick has led more than 20 international student service and learning trips across Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, and Africa, including initiatives in England, Estonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Uganda. While teaching in Toronto, he led annual high school mission teams, including four consecutive trips to Cuba (1994–1997). He later established an overseas mission program at Master’s College, beginning with its inaugural trip to Belize in 2000.

In 2025, he co-led 17 MA Leadership students on TWU’s academic Kenya Travel Studies program, integrating international learning, community engagement, and service.

  • PhD, Education (Azaliah University; 2001)
  • MSc, Education, General Education (Canisius University; 1998)
  • MSc, Secondary Education (Pensacola Christian College; 1993)
  • BSc, General (University of the West-Indies; 1988)

Expertise

Servant Leadership, Team Leadership and Conflict Resolution, Academic Hospitality and International Graduate Education, Intercultural Leadership and Student Belonging, Educational Leadership and Organizational Change, Experiential Learning and Leadership Pedagogy, Faculty Development and Curriculum Innovation, Faith and Learning

Academic hospitality and the experiences of international graduate students; servant and intercultural leadership; student belonging and academic success; educational leadership and organizational change; faith, culture and community; experiential approaches to leadership development.

Awards & Honours

  • Davis Teaching Excellence Award, TWU: Nominee, 2024.
  • Alberta Excellence in Teaching Awards: Nominee, 2015.
  • Garfield Weston Awards for Excellence in Education, 2007 and 2009: 
    • Institutional recognition of Master’s College during Derrick’s high school leadership; the 2009 award recognized the school’s staff as a School of Distinction for improvement in high school academic achievement.

Recent Publications

Peer-reviewed Publications

  • Mohamed, D. R., & George, I. Sustaining international graduate education: Policy pressures, institutional leadership, and student lived experience in Canada. Journal of International Students, 16(13), 327–348. (2026)
  • Mohamed, D. R., & George, I. Fostering academic hospitality: Addressing the needs of Muslim postgraduate students in Canadian higher education. Journal of International Students, 15(3), 237–256. (2025)

Selected Presentations and Workshops

  • International Leadership Association Global Conference, Toronto: “Walking Together: Indigenous Leadership, Institutional Change, and Allyship in Higher Education” (accepted panel presentation, forthcoming); “When Policy Reshapes Education: Public Leadership Lessons from Canada’s International Student Shift” (accepted presentation, forthcoming). (2026)
  • Kristu Jayanti Institute of Management, Bengaluru, India: “Leading Beyond the Algorithm: Character, Trust, and Ethical Leadership in an AI-Driven World” (invited virtual presentation, January 17). (2026)
  • Additional professional learning: Leadership workshop for The Salvation Army in British Columbia; ACSIWC annual-conference workshops for board members and administrators. (2026)
  • Afe Babalola University, Nigeria: “Managing Team Dynamics: Communication, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution” (invited professional development session, December 19). (2025)
  • Pan Africa Christian University, Nairobi, Kenya: Invited plenary speaker and panelist on AI-enhanced research and interdisciplinary innovation; co-presenter of an interactive professional workshop (May 29–30). (2025)
  • International Leadership Association Global Conference, Prague: Peer-reviewed presentation on faith, culture, and community. (2025)
  • International Leadership Association Global Conference, Vancouver: Collaborative research presentation on academic hospitality. (2023)
  • Educator Workshop: “Empowering Inclusive Education: Navigating Cultural Diversity and Supporting Student Success.” (2022)
  • Additional professional learning: ACSIWC Leadership Summer Institute Instructor (2014–2015); educator workshops through SCSBC; teacher training in Guangzhou, China (2008), and Kibaale, Uganda (2015).

Affiliations & Memberships

  • Alberta Teaching Certificate
  • Professional Certificate of Qualification, British Columbia Ministry of Education
  • Birkman Certified Professional
  • LEGO® Serious Play® / Serious Play Methods certification

  • EDUC 365 Social Issues in Education
  • EDUC 400 Classroom Management
  • LDRS 320 Ethical Decision Making
  • LDRS 400 Interpersonal Leadership, Managing Conflict
  • LDRS 432 Building Leaders II: Vocation and Career Planning
  • LDRS 500 Leadership Foundations
  • LDRS 502 Team Leadership & Conflict Negotiation
  • LDRS 591 Scholarly Research
  • LDRS 624 School Leadership & Supervision
  • LDRS 625 Educational Leadership & Supervision
  • LDRS 626 Leadership for Contemporary Educational Issues