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Dr. Rita Persaud is an assistant professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management (OB/HRM) in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Dr. Persaud holds a PhD in Human Capital Management (HCM); a Juris Master with Distinction (JM) from Liberty University; a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Bellevue University, Nebraska; and a Bachelors of Commerce, Arts (Econ.) and Human Resources Management from York University, Toronto.
Areas of research interest focus on human capital management, organizational behaviour, leadership, human resources management, suicide ideation, suicide, and mental illnesses classified under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Dr. Persaud’s PhD dissertation explored Psychological Capital (PsyCap) to mitigate suicide through a mixed-methods approach that includes an intervention. The study employed a quantitative pre-post design, cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, as well as a qualitative phenomenological investigation of hospital patients.
- 2024 "Women Changemaker of the Year Award" by the 5th International Inspirational Women Awards (IIWA)
- 2024 Keynote Speech Award
- 2024 Safe Communities Award, Woman of Influence and Outstanding Leadership
Naipaul, R., Bacchus, S., Gangai, K., Persaud, R., Kyriakou, S., Naipaul, T., & Naipaul, J. (2026). "Dismantling centuries of misunderstanding": The role of the Kali Yatra Festival in addressing stigma towards Kali worship in Trinidad and Tobago. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 14(2), 318–335. https://doi.org/10.25215/1402.032
Naipaul, T., Naipaul, J., Persaud, R., Gangai, K. N., Naipaul, R., & Bacchus, S. (2026). "It ain't just the body that suffering, is the mind too": Occupational health governance and psychological wellbeing among sugarcane workers in Guyana. Culture & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X261459962
Kyriakou, Z., Naipaul, T., Persaud, R., Elias, A., Gangai, K. N., Azar, R., & Daher, E. (2026). Passports, transactions and trust: Middle Eastern financial executives on money laundering risks in Caribbean Citizenship by Investment schemes. Global Crime, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/17440572.2026.2689935
Naipaul, J., Bachan-Persad, I., Persaud, R., Kumar, A., & Gangai, K. N. (2026). “We’ve become a passport factory”: Identity and reputation concerns in St. Lucia’s citizenship by investment program. Ethnicities, 0(0). https://lnkd.in/gUtGFUNm
Jul. 2026 - Dominicana News Online
Jun. 2026 - Kaietur News
Jun. 2024 - Kaieteur News
Canadian Guyanese professor donates in excess of $20M in school and medical supplies
Oct. 2024 - Guyana Department of Public Information
Oct. 2021 - Stabroek News
Canadian professor donates educational material to schools, UG
Oct. 2018 - Stabroek News
Toronto-based Guyanese professor donates hundreds of computers, books to secondary schools, UG
Jun. 2018 - CBC News
George Brown professor sends dozens of computers to Guyanese schools