A researcher who has lived inside the administrative systems he studies.
Abdul (Roby) Wahab • UWM SOIS • Photo: M. Nur
Before I studied information policy, I administered it — first as a university lecturer, then inside Canadian corporate operations, and currently as an Appeals Officer with the Federal Government of Canada. That operational vantage point shapes how I investigate artificial intelligence governance, automated discretion, and institutional data ethics at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
Intellectual Trajectory & Narrative
I began my intellectual journey in literary studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) and a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature at Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh. My early scholarship explored post-colonial power structures, structuralism, and narratives of institutional confinement—themes central to Bessie Head’s work and South African liberation literature.
After three years as a university lecturer, including my tenure at the Bangladesh Army International University of Science and Technology (BAIUST), where I taught humanities and critical discourse, I moved to Canada.
A competitive Faculty Research Award brought me to Lakehead University for a second Master’s degree in English Literature and Cultural Studies, where my focus crystallized around climate change discourse and the securitization of border security. Then, I spent five years in the corporate world in various roles, gaining firsthand insight into organizational information friction, cross-functional compliance, and operational decision-making. This bridge between text, technology, and policy led me to join the Government of Canada in 2023.
Today, as an Appeals Officer with the Federal Government of Canada, I adjudicate taxpayers’ objections and requests for any tax-related subject matter under the Income Tax Act, evaluate formal records disclosures under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act (ATIP), and synthesize administrative law jurisprudence. My concurrent doctoral studies at the UWM School of Information Studies, supervised by Dr. Nadine I. Kozak, analyze how automated and algorithmic decision tools intersect with this front-line administrative discretion.
Verified Lineage & Timeline
Academic Lineage & Research
PhD in Information Studies/Science (In Progress)
In ProgressSchool of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM), USA
Supervised by Dr. Nadine I. Kozak • Supported by Federal PhD Grants (Dec 2025) Focus: AI Policy, Algorithmic Impact Assessments, ATIP & Public Sector Information Security.
Graduate Certificate in Public Policy Analysis
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS), University of Regina & University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Focus: Policy Analysis Frameworks, Governance, Strategic Public Sector Management.
Master of Arts in English Literature & Cultural Studies
Lakehead University, Canada
Faculty Research Award • Graduate Assistantship Focus: Post-colonial Literature, Critical Theory, Narrative Structures.
MA (2012) & BA Honours (2011) in English Language & Literature
Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
Focus: Post-colonial Theory, Linguistic Structures, Cultural Studies.
Professional & Public Service Appointments
Appeals Officer (Permanent, SP-06)
CurrentAppeals Division, Government of Canada
Adjudicate statutory objections under the Income Tax Act and process ATIP disclosures under delegated ministerial authority.
Collections Contact Officer
Taxpayer Services & Debt Management, Government of Canada
Resolved statutory compliance dockets and managed complex taxpayer debt portfolios.
Non-Filer Compliance Officer
Collections & Verification Branch, Government of Canada
Enforced statutory filing requirements and conducted compliance risk evaluations under the Income Tax Act.
Corporate Management & Operations
Sherwin-Williams & The Brick (Canada)
Managed operational compliance, inventory control systems, and commercial accounts across Canadian enterprise units.
Lecturer in Humanities & Social Sciences
BAIUST & KYAU
Taught undergraduate courses in literary theory, research methodology, and communication ethics.
Complete curriculum vitae and public service career summaries available in PDF.
Certifications & Research Ethics
Provincial & Federal PhD Grants
Awarded December 2025 for 5 continuous years of doctoral studies at UWM
Faculty Research Award
Faculty Research Award and Graduate Assistantship • Department of English
TCPS 2: CORE Certification
Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans • Panel on Research Ethics (2016)
Advanced Certificate for Research
Humanities Research Methodology • School of Education, Indianapolis (2016)
ADaPT Certificate
Advanced Digital and Professional Training • Diversity Institute, Ted Rogers School of Management (2020)
Human Resources Management (CPHR Accredited)
CPHR Accredited Program • Extended Education (2023)
Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) & Federal Regulatory Training
Completed modules: Access to Information and Privacy Fundamentals (COR502); Foundations of Data Analysis: The Analytical Process; Protecting Sensitive Information in GCdocs; Applying an Integrated Approach to Policy Making; The System of Government from a Financial Perspective
Provincial and Federal PhD Grants
Continuous 5-year doctoral funding awarded by the Government of Canada for doctoral studies at UWM.
Faculty Research Award
Competitive faculty research award renewed across 2016–2018 for excellence in graduate humanities research.
M.S. & A.B. Chen 30th Anniv International Graduate Bursary
Endowed bursary awarded for academic merit in graduate literature and cultural studies.
International Tuition Waiver
Full international tuition scholarship awarded on the basis of graduate academic distinction.
Three Dimensions of Scholarship
My research agenda bridges technical information systems, administrative law, and democratic accountability across three primary domains: Automated Administrative Discretion, Institutional Data Governance, and Post-Colonial Information Architecture.
Information & AI Governance
Doctoral inquiry into algorithmic discretion, automated Decision-Making (ADM) directives, and civic information security regimes in public institutions.
Featured Working Papers:
Wahab, A. (2025). "Beyond Transparency and Consent: Critical Rethinking of Access to Information and Privacy in Canadian Digital Governance." UWM.
Wahab, A. (2025). "From Cybersecurity to Civic Security: Re-evaluating Information Security in Canadian Public Institutions." UWM.
Wahab, A. (2026). "Information Regimes in the Arctic: Governing Scientific and Indigenous Climate Knowledge in Canada’s Arctic Security Policy." UWM.
Federal Public Service & Regulatory Adjudication
Direct statutory adjudication of income tax disputes, ATIP disclosures, and administrative law compliance under institutional deadlines.
Core Competencies:
Humanities, Ethics & Pedagogy
Three years of university lecturing in critical discourse, post-colonial literature, and ESL, cultivating pedagogical frameworks for ethical inquiry.
Courses Taught:
Press & Conference Bio
Roby (Abdul) Wahab is a PhD Candidate in Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a permanent Appeals Officer within the Federal Government of Canada. His research investigates artificial intelligence governance, automated administrative discretion, and Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) policy within the Canadian public sector. He holds Master’s degrees from Lakehead University and Jahangirnagar University, a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Saskatchewan, and over five years of federal public service and corporate management experience in Canada.