Welcome to a new semester and new year

The beginning of a new year and a new semester always fill me with hope for the future. Classes have begun and there is a great energy on campus.

The department has some great events planned for the Winter term to help you stay engaged. Some are mentioned in this newsletter and others will be announced through Brightspace. Come out and enjoy what Political Science has to offer in 2026!

Table of Contents

• Welcome to a new semester and new year

• Trivia Night!

• Congratulations to our Honour Roll 2024-25

• Reading Liberty Winter 2026

• UWindsor students shine at 2025 UWill Discover Mod …

• Faculty News

Trivia Night!

Congratulations to our Honour Roll 2024-25

Reading Liberty Winter 2026

Reading Liberty is back by popular demand. This semester we will be reading Super Abundance by Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley.

Meetings will start after reading week and take place every other Wednesdays from 12:00-1:30 for a total of three meetings:

• February 25

• March 11

• March 25

This is a free book club. The club meets over lunch at an area restaurant. Both the cost of the meal and the book are covered by Reading Liberty.

To apply, please contact Dr. Miljan lmiljan@uwindsor by January 23 so that the books can be ordered and arrive in time to read before the first meeting. Please note that you must be able to commit to reading the book and attending all three meetings to participate.

About the Book

Generations of people have been taught that population growth makes resources scarcer. In 2021, for example, one widely publicized report argued, “The world's rapidly growing population is consuming the planet's natural resources at an alarming rate . . . the world currently needs 1.6 Earths to satisfy the demand for natural resources . . . [a figure that] could rise to 2 planets by 2030.” But is that true?

​After analyzing the prices of hundreds of commodities, goods, and services spanning two centuries, Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley found that resources became more abundant as the population grew. That was especially true when they looked at “time prices,” which represent the length of time that people must work to buy something.

​To their surprise, the authors also found that resource abundance increased faster than the population―a relationship that they call “superabundance.” On average, every additional human being created more value than he or she consumed. This relationship between population growth and abundance is deeply counterintuitive, yet it is true.

​Why? More people produce more ideas, which lead to more inventions. People then test those inventions in the marketplace to separate the useful from the useless. At the end of that process of discovery, people are left with innovations that overcome shortages, spur economic growth, and raise standards of living.

​But large populations are not enough to sustain superabundance―just think of the poverty in China and India before their respective economic reforms. To innovate, people must be allowed to think, speak, publish, associate, and disagree. They must be allowed to save, invest, trade, and profit. In a word, they must be free.

UWindsor students shine at 2025 UWill Discover Model United Nations

The role and importance of diplomacy, leadership and global awareness were highlighted at the 2025 UWill Discover Model United Nations (MUN), a simulated UN General Assembly event held at the University of Windsor.

Students from across academic disciplines took part in the Student Success and Leadership Centre-hosted event, as part of UWill Discover.

The project and event brought together UWindsor undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to debate pressing global issues while honing skills in negotiation, public speaking and collaboration.

Dr. Tim Brunet, Outstanding Scholars & Student Leadership Coordinator and UWill Discover project lead, said the event showcased the University’s unique strength in convening diverse student voices.

“Only UWindsor could bring together students from every corner of campus and the world,” he said.

“Their engagement demonstrates not only tremendous preparation but a genuine commitment to understanding the complexities facing countries globally.”

The Honourable Dwight Duncan — University of Windsor Chancellor — served as guest speaker, offering insights from his political career and fielding questions from students eager to learn from his experience in world politics.

The 2025 UWill Discover MUN affirms UWindsor’s commitment to cultivating globally minded leaders prepared to engage with the challenges of an interconnected world.

Award winners:

Pranjal Reen - Best Presenter
Combined Honours in Political Science & Sociology (Representing China)

Victorieuse Sambao - Best Delegate
Honours Law & Politics and Outstanding Scholar (Representing Sweden)

Aanustup Singh Rathore - Best Position Paper
International Relations (Representing the United States of America)

Trevor Ramieri - Honourable Mention
International Relations (Representing Denmark)

MUN Executive:

Damian Bossom
Combined Honours Psychology & Political Science and Outstanding Scholar

Elizabeth Spiridon
Law and Politics

Eric Joshi
Political Science

Matthew Najem
Business Co-op

Samantha Dade
Biological Sciences

Sohila Sidhu
Behaviour Cognition & Neuroscience and Outstanding Scholar

Taibat Ayomide Idris
International Relations

Tricya Alonzo
Biological Sciences

Zeina Abou Haidar
Communication Media & Film and Outstanding Scholar

Faculty News

Dr. Richter Retires

It is with mixed feelings that we announce the retirement of Dr. Andrew Richter a valued faculty member whose contributions have shaped our academic community.

Dr. Richter has dedicated his career to advancing scholarship in international security, Canadian defense policy, and NATO relations. His extensive research includes works such as Avoiding Armageddon: Canadian Military Strategy and Nuclear Weapons, 1950-1963 (UBC Press and Michigan State University Press, 2002) and numerous articles in leading journals, including Comparative Strategy and The American Review of Canadian Studies. His expertise and insights have enriched both undergraduate and graduate programs, inspiring countless students to pursue excellence in political science. He has also been effective in knowledge mobilization by penning numerous op-eds in Canada’s leading national news outlets.

Beyond his publications, Dr. Richter has been an educator and mentor, fostering critical thinking and global awareness among his students.

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Richter’s remarkable career and wishing him all the best in this new chapter of life.

Dr. Najem wins OPUS Faculty Leadership Award

Dr. Najem is the well deserving recipient of the “2025 OPUS Faculty Leadership Award." This award was initiated in 2016 by the Organization of Part-Time University Students (OPUS) to recognize and applaud the efforts and dedication of staff or faculty member(s) who provide support for their years of service to students.

The OPUS Board of Directors & Staff acknowledged Dr. Najem’s many years of service at the University of Windsor and his continuous support toward students.

The award was presented at the 33rd Annual Awards Banquet in conjunction with other 2025 OPUS award recipients.