Over the past 25 years, Dr. Sasha Tsenkova has been an exemplary educator, researcher, and mentor. Shortly after completing her PhD at the University of Toronto, Dr. Tsenkova joined the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (formerly Faculty of Environmental Design) at the University of Calgary as an Assistant Professor in 1999. Dr. Tsenkova quickly ascended through the academic ranks and, in 2004, was promoted to Full Professor – a testament to her abilities as a planning scholar.
At the University of Calgary, Dr. Tsenkova has taught a broad range of courses in the areas of housing, urban policy, planning theory, international development, and research design and methods. Through her teaching, she has influenced upwards of 2400 students, in addition to supervising more than 46 master’s theses and projects and 10 PhD students.
With over 150 publications, Dr. Tsenkova is a prominent voice in the areas of housing policy, growth management, sustainable cities, and comparative urban development. While Dr. Tsenkova has made significant contributions to planning in Canada, her influence extends well beyond the Canadian context. In working with the World Bank, Council of Europe, and United Nations, Dr. Tsenkova has played a critical role in projects in 30 countries across Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia. Additionally, she has been a visiting scholar in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States of America.
Dr. Tsenkova’s contributions to planning have continuously been recognized by her peers having received a number of prestigious awards including the Killam Fellowship, Urban Studies Fellowship, Sasakawa International Fellowship, International Peace Scholarship, and the British Council Award. In 2019, she received CMHC’s President’s Medal for Outstanding Housing Research, and in 2014 was awarded PLAN Canada’s Best Feature Article Award for her publication: Investing in New York’s Future: Affordable Rental Housing in Mixed Income Projects.
Dr. Tsenkova has been an engaged member of CIP and the Alberta Professional Planners Institute. She has continuously volunteered with both organizations, including serving as Co-Chair of the CIP New Urban Agenda Committee.