Introducing our newest faculty members

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts!

Please welcome our newest faculty members who have joined Arts starting January 1, 2026: Dr. Diego Gabriel Krivochen (Linguistics), Patricia P. Ndlovu (Sociology), Dr. Sabelo Ndlovou-Gatsheni (History), Dr. Sarath Pillai (History), Dr. Jennifer Prentice (Psychology) and Dr. Igor Yakovenko (Psychology).  

Dr. Diego Gabriel Krivochen, Assistant Professor, School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures 

Dr. Diego Gabriel Krivochen, PhD, conducts research on linguistic theory and theoretical syntax, the syntax of English and Spanish, formal languages and implicit learning of artificial grammars. Prior to starting his role at UCalgary he held positions at the universities of Verona, Oxford and Reading. 

Patricia P. Ndlovu, Assistant Professor (Research), Sociology

Dr. Patricia P. Ndlovu, PhD, holds a Master of Arts in Industrial Sociology from the University of Johannesburg and is currently completing her PhD in Sociology and a Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) Fellow at the University of Bayreuth. Her current doctoral thesis cuts across the related fields of urban sociology and sociology of work, with specific focus on the minibus taxi industry in South Africa. Her research interests include scholarship in African sociology thought, decolonization, social theory, violence and gender in Africa and Industrial Sociology. 

Dr. Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Pluralistic Societies and Professor of History

Dr. Sabelo Ndlovu‑Gatsheni, PhD, is a leading scholar of decolonial thought, epistemic freedom, African Studies, African history and building pluriversal societies. Before coming to the University of Calgary, he held senior academic leadership roles at the University of Bayreuth and the University of South Africa and has authored or edited more than 25 books and over 110 publications. As Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), he is developing a research program that advances epistemic pluralism, fosters inclusive and relational ecologies of knowledges, and builds pluriversal societies. 

Dr. Sarath Pillai, Assistant Professor, History

Dr. Sarath Pillai, PhD, is a historian of modern South Asia specializing in the history of federalism and the Indian Princely States. His first book, based on his award‑winning PhD dissertation from University of Chicago, offers a global and intellectual history of federalism in twentieth‑century South Asia. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, he held positions at Southern Methodist University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he also led public history initiatives and represented postdoctoral scholars on the University Council. 

Dr. Jennifer Prentice, Assistant Professor (Teaching) in Psychology and Associate Director, University of Calgary Psychology Clinic

Dr. Jennifer Prentice, PhD, is a Registered Psychologist whose work focuses on evidence‑based neuropsychological and health psychology assessment and treatment for adults and older adults. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary, with specialized training in neuropsychology in Toronto and Nova Scotia. Her clinical interests include working with adults and older adults in a variety of clinical settings including oncology, multi-organ transplant programs, geriatric ambulatory care, behavioural neurology and neuromodulation programs. 

Dr. Igor Yakovenko, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Dr. Igor Yakovenko, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and licensed clinical psychologist who completed his PhD at the University of Calgary, a clinical residency at Yale University, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta. His work aims to improve real‑world mental health and addiction care, with research examining substance use, behavioural addictions — including disordered gambling and video gaming — and co-morbidity of addiction and other psychiatric disorders.  Dr. Yakovenko is also an active member of the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM).