Melissa Kelly鈥檚 research takes a comparative approach to understanding how migrants and refugees experience settlement, integration and belonging in different spatial contexts. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Canadian Geographer, Journal of International Migration and Integration, Population Space and Place, and Migration Letters.
Melissa is Project Director and Principal Investigator on a SSHRC-funded Partnership Development Project focused on international migration to small and mid-sized cities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She is leading a team of academics, NGOs and government organizations to understand the factors influencing immigrant attraction and retention in non-metropolitan communities.
Melissa was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the 鈥楴arrative Study of Lives Programme鈥� at the University of the Free State in South Africa and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University. Currently, she is affiliated with the Borders in Globalization (BIG) network based at the University of Victoria.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Melissa has contributed extensively to the development of labour market and immigration policies and programs for the Government of Canada. She is also on the Welcoming Standard Content Advisory Board for Welcoming America.
Recent Publications
Books
With Triandafyllidou, A., Modhadam, A., and Sahin-Mencutek, Z. (Eds.).(2024) . Springer Nature.
With Carpenter, M., and Schmidtke, O. (Eds.).(2023) . Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
With Konrad, V. (Eds.) (2021) . Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
Journal Articles
(2024). . Canadian Ethnic Studies, 56(3): 123-143.
(2024). Moving to find home: Emotion, imagination, and onward migration in the Iranian diaspora. Emotion, Space and Society, 50, 1-8.
(2023). , Journal of International Migration and Integration, 1-18.
With Niraula, A. (2023). South Asian Diaspora, 1-17.
With Nguyen, M., & Triandafyllidou, A. (2023). . Journal of International Migration and Integration, in press.
With Nguyen, M. (2023). Journal of International Migration and Integration, 1-21.
(2023). The Canadian Geographer/Le G茅ographe Canadien, 67:2, 217-225
Reports
With Eimermann, M. (2024). The role of housing in attracting and retaining talent in EU regions.
With Jung, J. D. (2024). . In India Migration Report 2024 (pp. 81-96). Routledge India
(2023). "."
With Nguyen, M. (2023). 鈥淲hy Immigrants Stay in Small and Mid-Sized Canadian Cities: Report on Findings in Grey and Bruce Counties鈥� Report Prepared for Welcoming Grey-Bruce.
With Nguyen, M. (2023). 鈥淲hy Immigrants Stay in Small and Mid-Sized Canadian Cities: Report on Findings in Lanark and Renfrew Counties鈥� Report prepared for Local Immigration Partnership/Partenariat local pour l鈥檌mmigration- Lanark & Renfrew.
Book Chapters
(2024) in Triandafyllidou, A., Moghadam, A. Kelly, M. and 艦ahin-Menc眉tek, Z., (Eds)., , pp. 143-158. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
With Carpenter, M., and Schmidtke, O. (2023) "Integrating Conceptual and Comparative Perspectives on Borders and Migration" in . (Carpenter, M., Kelly, M. and Schmidtke, O., Eds.). Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
With Konrad, V. (2021) 鈥淏orders, Culture and Globalization: Some conclusions, more uncertainties, and many challenges鈥� in (Konrad, Victor and Kelly, Melissa, Eds.). Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
With Konrad, V. (2021), 鈥淚ntroduction: Culture, Globalization and Canada鈥檚 Borders" in (Konrad, Victor and Kelly, Melissa, Eds.). Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
(2021), 鈥淭he Snowbirds: A cultural movement across borders鈥� in (Konrad, Victor and Kelly, Melissa, Eds.). Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
Policy Briefs
With Brown, N., and Esses, V. M. (2022) (PDF file) Improving the Attraction and Retention of Internationally Educated Healthcare Professionals in Small and Rural Communities., opens in new window CERC Migration Policy Brief 06, Jan. 2022.
Commentary
(2022) The Future Economy.
(2022) The Conversation.