As we approach the midway point in the semester, there’s a lot going on in the department. Our student groups have been active organizing and hosting campus events such as the successful trivia night where the team “Real Prorogues” won first prize in a tie -breaker battle with another team that also included a prorogation theme.

This month, the student groups are organizing the WinMun 25 conference where local high school students come to campus and participate in two United Nations committees. They have also organized an Ontario Election watch party for the upcoming provincial election on February 27th, (see below for more information).

In this issue, we continue our faculty spotlight with Ignite student Alexandra Kawalec’s interviews. This month it’s my turn to answer those pesky questions.

Happy Family day everyone!

Congratulations to the Mock Trial group winning their competition in Waterloo in January! They won first place overall 6-0 at their first-ever event as a team. Joseph Murtagh pictured second from the left won best competitor.

The team photo above from left to right: Faadel Asfari, Joseph Murtagh, Elizabeth Spiridon, Emma Northcott, myself (Kailyana Gelinas), and Matthew Livingstone.

Q: What inspired you to become a professor?

A: I wouldn’t say that I was inspired as much as it worked well with my career path at the time. I had been working in public policy research for about 8 years after my Masters. I started my Ph.D. while I was also starting my family. Going from a high-pressure think tank world to academia worked well for me because professors have a lot of autonomy over their research and time management. Within reason, we can guide the selection of courses we teach, and sometimes when they are taught. We also can choose our own research agenda. All those things appealed to me as I was able to structure my day in such a way that I could spend time with my kids, and also teach and conduct research.

Q: What is your area of research?

A: My focus is on Canadian politics and public policy. I have done studies on various public policy topics ranging from economic to social issues. I also find election research very interesting as it coincides with my interest in political communication.

Q: What projects are you currently working on?

A: I have two projects currently in the works:

• “Covid-19 Vaccine Funding and Public Choice Theory”– I’ve been working on this project for several years. It has been delayed as part of the study involves getting access to information from the federal government. I put in two requests, one took over 2 years to be filled, and the other is nearing a 2.5-year mark and still hasn’t been delivered. The request that was filled didn’t provide much useful information as the elements I was looking for were highly redacted.  Nonetheless, I’m committed to writing the paper this spring so that I can deliver it to the Canadian Political Science Association conference in June.

•  “Policy Creation in Self-Regulated Professions” – As someone who writes on public policy, I found that an under-researched area is how policy is done at the sub-national level. Self-governing health boards came under great scrutiny during Covid as some of the professional colleges imposed sanctions against their members for things seemingly not related to their practices, such as their political advocacy or social media use. I am currently on the Board of Directors for the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Board oversees the development of policies that govern the conduct of physicians. Although the work of the board is public, few people, including academics, understand or know what are the processes by which policies are created and reviewed. This paper will contribute to the literature by examining the policy creation process of self-regulating health professionals in Ontario.

Q: How has your thinking on the topic evolved over time?

A: All my research relates to current events as it focuses on Canadian politics and public opinion. When I started academia, I was focused a lot on how the media reported the news. This area of research has really become secondary as newsrooms have been hollowed out and social media has become the norm. It’s not that my thinking has changed dramatically, it’s more how I have had to adapt to a changing world.

Q: What courses are you teaching this semester? What are you excited about teaching this semester?

A: This semester I’m teaching POLS 3200, Elections and Political Parties. I really enjoy this class, especially during election years. This year is quite exciting as the semester began with the Prime Minister announcing his intention to resign. In addition, the course involves students forming political parties and running an election campaign. Students get hands-on experience forming policy and creating engaging communications. This year we’ll have a high school class follow along and vote in the final class.

Next year I’ll be teaching POLS 2750 Introduction to Research Methods. I recognize that this is a course a lot of students dread as it involves some statistics. I would like to reassure students that they need not be afraid as the math involved isn’t that complicated, and it will assist you greatly in understanding quantitative papers. You also get a better understanding of what goes into developing a research question and the methods by which it can be tested.

Q: How difficult would you say your courses are?

A: I don’t think they are difficult, but I have received feedback from former students that they are challenging. I’ve also had students perform very well when they put in the work. To get the most out of the assessments I encourage students to review the grading rubric in advance of submitting assignments. This gives students a better understanding of what I am looking for and how they will be assessed.

Q: Do you have any tips on how to succeed in university?

A: Treat your education as a job. Just as you might prioritize getting to work because you get a paycheck, think of getting your grade as your paycheck for your education. In other words, your grades are currency. This currency is used if you want to pursue a master’s or a professional degree later on.

In addition to keeping up with your course readings, I strongly recommend that you keep up with world events. Read some current journalism as it will help you get examples to apply to the theoretical work you are doing in class.

Q: . How significant is the issue of political polarization in Canada today? Do you see it as a growing concern, and if so, what measures could be taken to address or mitigate it?

A: When we are in the middle of disputes, we often feel like this is something unprecedented. Election campaigns tend to bring out extreme emotions. There has always been polarization, however, the rise of social media and the constant clickbait and rage-baiting does feel like this has gone to a new level. I don’t think we can mitigate it through government intervention. It really depends on how much we expose ourselves to differing points of view. Personally, I try to see the other side’s argument, even if I don’t agree with them, I want to understand where they are coming from.

Q: What factors do you think will shape the upcoming Liberal Party leadership race? How might the outcome impact the party's direction, policies, and its ability to compete in the next federal election?

A: The compressed timeline for the race is going to impact the outcome. Unlike the leadership races we’ve seen in the past, this one is exceptionally short. With that comes the problem of ensuring that there is no foreign interference, and this will hamper the candidates in their attempts to raise money and sign up members. As the membership closed on January 27^th , there’s little incentive for people to join the party because if they missed that deadline, they won’t be able to participate.

The other factor that is going to impact the upcoming election is the timing. The new leader won’t have much opportunity to put together a platform that reflects their priorities as there is a growing consensus that when parliament returns there will be enough opposition votes to trigger an election. This is going to be problematic for the Liberals as the top contenders are trying to distance themselves from the current government’s policies on carbon and capital gains taxes. And then there is the Trump factor. While the Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre have been advocating for a carbon tax election, it is more likely that people will be assessing the leaders on who best can deal with Donald Trump, both in terms of the tariff threat, but also in renegotiating CUSMA.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies will once again be holding the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition for graduate students in Spring 2025. 

Please encourage graduate students in your research programs to sign up and practice their presentation skills at the internationally recognized 3MT® research speaking competition.

Who can participate:

• Current UWindsor Doctoral and Master's students registered in a doctoral dissertation, Master's thesis or major research paper, who have made substantial progress on their research and analysis. 

Competition highlights:

• 3MT® is internationally recognized in 53 countries around the world

• 20+ participating Canadian Universities  

• UWindsor Prizes: Winner: $1000 cash; Runner-up: $500 cash; Third Place: $250 cash 

• The UWindsor winner will go on to represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario provincial final hosted by University of Toronto on May 14, 2025 (all travel expenses covered). 

• All events open to the public.

Register now - spots are limited

 To register and for competition details visit the  UWindsor 3MT Competition webpage and register by 12p.m. noon on Friday, February 28, 2025.

 Training Session:

It is strongly recommended that UWindsor contestants attend the Information and coaching session on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 12p.m. noon to 2p.m. (location TBD).

The deadline to apply for the Enriched Academy bursary is fast approaching—February 15th. Complete all modules to be eligible to apply for one of five $1,000 bursaries! Upload your certificate on the Award Profile found on UWinsite Student today!

Dr. Richez will be presenting her work on the Court Challenges Program at a hybrid event hosted by Laval University. All are welcome and you can register by using the QR code in the poster.

• Sutcliffe, John and Cipkar, Sarah (2024). “Municipalities, Public Services, and the Government-Citizen Interface in Comparative Perspective,” in Good, Kristin and Nelles, Jen (eds) Canadian Urban Governance in Comparative Perspective. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.