What are you focused on these days? 

My focus these days is on working with collaborators and students to share stories of resilience and success in the face of the environmental challenges we face. These are challenging times, whether that’s because of the state of the environment, geopolitics, or the ongoing inequities of settler-colonialism in countries like Canada. My attention is on the ways in which people are working together to address these issues, often in coalitions of settler and Indigenous partners working together. 

Why is this work important right now?  

I believe this is such an exciting time to be alive and working on these issues. The stakes are so high, and the opportunities are vast. To survive as cultures and civilizations, we must do things very differently, while being informed by wisdom traditions that go way back in time. I hope that my work can help to bridge the past and future, while encouraging students to see places for themselves in the exciting work ahead.  

What is a question you hope to answer with your research? 

One project I co-direct, with Māori scholar Prof. John Reid from the University of Canterbury, is entitled â€˜Living Relations’. It is about sharing stories of how Indigenous and settler partners are working together to respond to the food system sustainability transition challenge in Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada. This knowledge sharing project amplifies and builds dialogue among Indigenous-led food systems initiatives to show how they strengthen Indigenous food sovereignty and improve broader societal resilience. I’m intrigued by the questions of how we work together, across cultures, histories and continents, to build a better future together. The answers are subtle. They involve rethinking how we think, and talk, and engage with one another in ways that the western academy has not been very good at.  

What is something people would be surprised to learn? 

I’ve been training to be a meditation teacher and increasingly bring guided meditations into the classroom. I even won a teaching achievement award to do this and will hold an event next year at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ on the topic of Mindful Approaches to Ecopolitics. I discovered mindfulness practices during the pandemic, to grapple with my own anxieties at feeling little control for our collective predicament. I’ve learned that others value these tools and the values that underpin them too. It’s also a whole new type of teaching, as this is less about sharing content and more about sharing ways of approaching our inner experiences.  

What’s the biggest misconception about your research area? 

Many non-Indigenous researchers feel uneasy about engaging in research with Indigenous peoples and communities, feeling it is not their place to do so, or that they will make mistakes. I can understand this. There is much that Indigenous researchers and communities need to take the lead on. And I have made many mistakes. At the same time, decolonization involves all of us. Figuring out how to do this work collaboratively and respectfully is something people of all backgrounds and positionalities can find a place in.  

Any new projects you’re excited about? 

One of my favourite projects these days is the . This is a podcast for students to learn about environmental politics, but its reach has grown widely through platforms like youtube and itunes. The podcast is mostly long-form interviews with prominent environmental activists and academics who have such interesting insights to share! And almost every episode has a discussion about how and where they find ‘hope’. I love the answers we get! I started this podcast with my colleague Prof. Ryan Katz-Rosene from the University of Ottawa during the pandemic, but it’s taken on a life of its own. 

What’s your favourite class to teach? 

I love my environmental politics courses, of which I teach 3 or 4 in political science. Almost all involve real-life simulations, whether of international treaty negotiations, or deliberations on environmental issues facing Canadians. Students learn so much in these exercises. They need to embody diverse perspectives on these issues and then figure out how to find common ground with one another.  

Thanks very much and let me start by saying that I consider it a privilege to be able to provide today’s convocation address. 

Congratulations to each and every one of you sitting here today. And welcome to all the friends and family who travelled from all over to be able to share this day with each of you. 

Convocation addresses are often of a type: most common is the address that tries to impart a deep message, one that resonates with the times and that we hope might stay with the audience long after graduation. That is often what we believe to be the case when we sit down to write them. And there are certainly a number of topics that merit consideration right now: the fragile state of the world order, the future of liberal democracy, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the state of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives. But as I think back to my own graduation ceremonies, I can’t really remember who gave the address, much less what they actually said. It might be age, but I refuse to believe that. 

So let me spare you my attempt at a deep meaningful address and instead try to say some things that might actually stick with you long after today. Maybe even try to make you laugh. And so what is it that I want to share with you, while you are a captive audience? 

What I’d like to share with you are the things that I learned over the years that I wished I had known when I was sitting where you are. Things that come from a mix of experience and age, some from the invariable learning that takes place throughout life, some from mistakes, and some from very wise people who shared their thinking with me.  

1. Try to read the newspaper every day. This one came from one of my undergraduate political science professors at Brock University, Professor David Seigel, over 40 years ago. You can tell it was a long time ago because he didn’t tell me to read “trusted news sources” or indicate which app to use since neither was an issue at the time. It was a paper; a physical copy delivered every day. But the importance of the advice still stands.  

Citizenship provides us with multiple benefits, but it also comes with responsibility. Knowing what’s happening around you and around the world is one of these. Have opinions – educated opinions — on issues. Know what policies are being discussed in your city and in your country. Know who you want to support and why when you head into an election booth. Democracy is fragile, and its survival requires people who are vigilant and knowledgeable. No matter how busy, I still scan a paper everyday to see what is happening. 

2. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. One of my favourite quotes is one I found in high school that I’ve returned to a number of occasions. It’s from Thoreau’s book Walden published in 1854 and it goes like this “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”   

I come back to this quote to remind myself that it’s okay to do things differently than others, to feel as though no one gets you, it’s okay to buy crazy pink suede shoes rather than the more sensible black ones that go with everything.  It’s okay dance on the street in public while waiting for the light to turn green when I’m out for a run listening to music. Remember that fewer people than you think are watching you, and even if they are, it might be because they wished they could also “dance like no one was watching”. But as I’ve gotten older, I now know that that quote also means that I need to give that freedom to others, to let them be who they feel they need to be inside, regardless of what society tells us is the “right” thing to do or the right way to be. It’s about the gift of tolerance. Everyone deserves the freedom and tolerance to be who they need to be. 

3. Take a chance. Take a risk. Be bold. Be brave. I think of my maternal grandmother, Angelina MĂŠnard, who as a young teen at the turn of the century, left her home in St. Hyacinthe in QuĂŠbec with her sister for Quebec city to work as chambermaids at the Chateau Frontenac to help support the family back home. That could not have been easy. Or my late father telling me as a young girl to look out the door and see the whole world which as he said “was mine for the taking.”  

I now know that he was telling me that because he hadn’t had the chance to live his dream and wanted to be certain that his children did. So go for it. Take chances. The world needs risk takers. Ignore that little voice telling you that you can’t do it, that you won’t succeed. We need people who challenge the status quo and those with authority and power. Success will come with its own rewards. And so too will failure. You will learn about yourself, about your strengths and your weaknesses, which will make your next attempt that much better. 

And we need to remember that the goal is important, but so too is the journey on the path to success or failure. 

4. Be humble. Humility to me is about never letting your own power and success blind you to the needs of those around you, to your own weaknesses. It’s also about recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses, your blind spots, and working to address them. None of us is perfect, we all now and always will have things still to learn, and we need to own and recognize our mistakes.  

We also have to be able to say “I don’t know” and “can you help me with this?” I learned this lesson the hard way in fourth or fifth grade. The teacher asked me if I knew what the underground railroad was. I didn’t, but couldn’t bring myself to say so. I couldn’t bear the thought of admitting I didn’t know and looking dumb. So, I took a wild but seemingly risk-free guess. “It was an underground railroad that they built to transport slaves North and into Canada,” I said with confidence. As you know, it wasn’t. Since then, I’ve never hesitated to say “no.” 

I know you’ve heard your professors say there are no stupid questions. Believe them. Admit to not knowing things. 

Humility allows us to recognize that our successes are never truly individual, but rather are dependent on others. It allows us to listen more to those around us and talk less. And I see this—humility— as imperative for the development of mutual understanding and respect, which is core to addressing the problems that need solving in our world. Remember to ask yourself, “Might I be wrong?” 

5. Finally, cherish your family and friends. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received came from a mentor (Professor Sandra Burt at the University of Waterloo) several years ago when I went to her for advice to ask about a career move. And it’s a simple one. As she told me “Brenda, what do people write on their headstones? It’s not the number of papers you’ve written or awards you’ve won or how many hours they spent at work. They write about the relationships they’ve had. Loving wife and mother. Loving son. Loving brother. Always keep that in mind when trying to figure out what is most important to you.” 

 I’ve never forgotten these words and I hope you don’t either. 

Take a moment today to thank those friends and family who helped you on your journey to graduation. No one does it alone.  

2024 was a significant year for the Faculty of Public and Global Affairs. FPGA released a new strategic plan, “Lead, Connect, Transform,” and adopted a new name that better represents our areas of study and research. 

FPGA faculty, staff and students returned with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism after a period affected by the pandemic. That sense of mission was evident in the many accomplishments over the year 2024. What follows is a few of the highlights.

Research

In October, the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) welcomed Daniel Rosenbloom, the Rosamond Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions. It’s the first chair in Canada devoted to the scholarship and practice surrounding the rapidly growing field of sustainability transition in Canada. The chair is the latest example of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s commitment to sustainability through The Transition Accelerator, Efficiency Canada, and the master programs in sustainable energy.

Read more about our 2024 research highlights.

Events

The annual Dick, Ruth and Judy Bell Lecture attracted hundreds of people to the ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University Dominion-Chalmers Centre in downtown Ottawa in May to hear NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speak about maintaining optimism during a difficult period.   

Other highlights included:

FPGA Strategic Plan launch, which brought together faculty and staff to celebrate a new chapter in the Faculty’s story.
The 2024 Stursberg Lecture was a two-part virtual lecture series exploring the role of journalism in the Israel-Gaza War. 
The Katherine A.H. Graham Lecture on Indigenous Policy featured Chief Abram Benedict.

Pacinthe Mattar gave a lecture on “Objectivity, Press Freedom, and the Palestine Exception.”

Boston University’s Joan Donovan delivered the 2024 Attallah Lecture “Meme War 2024.” 

ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ hosted a . 

The Department of Economics held its annual Alumni Reception.

The ICCJ Winter Colloquium featured “No More Deaths in Custody.”

MPM hosted “Protecting Democracy in the Modern Age.”

NPSIA hosted the Ukrainian Ambassador in partnership with St. Andrew’s Church.

NPSIA’s Michael Bell Lecture featured Dr. Ardi Imseis.
 
NPSIA also hosted Dr. Gonul Tol, director, Middle East Institute Turkiye program.

Awards

FPGA Excellence Awards

Research (Full Professor) Award: Achim Hurrelmann, Political Science
Research (Assistant Professor) Award: Michael Manuluk, NPSIA
Teaching (Faculty) Award: Katie Graham, Media Production and Design
Teaching (Faculty) Award: Aaron Ettinger, Political Science
Teaching (CI) Award: Eric van Rythoven
Equity & Inclusion Award: Nana aba Duncan, Journalism
Public Commentary Award: Alexander McClelland, Criminology
Community Engagement Award: Susan Phillips, SPPA
Staff Award: Tabbatha Malouin

King Charles III Coronation Medals

Stephanie Carvin, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Michael Manulak, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Books

Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice
 

Edited by Christina Gabriel, Political Science, and L. Pauline Rankin

Philip Kaisary, Law and Legal Studies 

Miranda Brady, Communication and Media Studies

Andrea Chandler, Political Science

FPGA’s strong showing in competitive external research grants and awards continued this year, with several grant winners from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the National Science and Engineering Research Council, the Department of National Defence, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Trans-Atlantic Platform, the Transatlantic Dialogue and the Ivey Foundation, among others.

In October, Daniel Rosenbloom was named the Rosamond Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA). It’s the first chair in Canada devoted to the scholarship and practice surrounding the rapidly growing field of sustainability transition in Canada. It further strengthens ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s commitment to sustainability through The Transition Accelerator, Efficiency Canada, and the master programs in sustainable energy.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Open Research Area 8

• Cati Coe, Department of Political Science: Pathways for vocational training and informal learning in West Africa

Insight Grants

• Jerald Sabin, School of Public Policy & Administration: Leadership, Democratic Accountability, and Consensus Government in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories
• Lynda Khalaf, Department of Economics: Multidimensional simulation-based inference with applications to asset pricing
• Paul Goode, Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies: Russia’s Media at War: Domestic Content, International Transfer, and Perceived Credibility
• William Walters, cross-appointed with the Departments of Political Science and Sociology & Anthropology: Rethinking declassification: Dis/closure, infrastructure, aesthetics

• Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Tracking (In)Justice: Advancing new knowledge on police involved deaths in Canada

Insight Development Grants

• Anna Kopec, School of Public Policy & Administration: The (In)Visibility of Services: Mapping Homelessness Services in Ontario
• Ardyn Nordstrom, School of Public Policy & Administration: Supporting Education During Crises: A Global Evaluation using Machine Learning

• Jean-Michel Marcoux, Department of Law and Legal Studies: Practicing reform: The law-making role of tribunals and the sanctioning of investor misconduct in investment arbitration
• Trish Audette-Longo, School of Journalism and Communication: Pipeline promises and disruptions: Analyzing the intersections of fossil fuel narratives, climate change stories and new journalism practices
• Vivian Hoffmann, cross-appointed with the School of Public Policy & Administration and the Department of Economics: Building and activating social norms through personal climate emissions feedback

Partnership Development Grant

• Peter AndrĂŠe, Department of Political Science: Living Relationships: Sharing Stories of Decolonizing Food System Transitions in Aotearoa and Canada

Partnership Engage Grant

• Anna Kopec, School of Public Policy & Administration: Disaster-Driven Vulnerabilities as Homelessness Pathways: Homelessness as an Eco-Social Risk of Climate Change
• Martin Geiger, EURUS/Political Science: Leveraging Canadian Expertise for Enhancing Kazakhstan’s Management of Migration

Connection Grant

• Adrian Harewood, School of Journalism and Communication: Future in the Balance: Political Journalism Education in the 21st Century
• Irena Knezevic, School of Journalism and Communication: From the ground up: Addressing food inequalities through systemic changes//Du terrain vers le haut : aborder les inĂŠgalitĂŠs alimentaires Ă  partir de changements systĂŠmiques
• Allan Thompson, School of Journalism and Communication: Journalism and AI: An Industry Roundtable

Talent Impact Grant

Jessica Davis, PhD student, Norman Paterson School of International Studies

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

CIHR Team Grant – HIV/AIDS and STBBI Community-Based Research

Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Setting Directions for a Community-Based HIV & STBBI Surveillance Observatory

DND Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Collaborative Network Grant

Crina Viju, Jeff Sahadeo, Paul Goode, Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies: The Eastern Europe and Transatlantic Network (EETN)

Targeted Engagement Grant

Philippe LagassĂŠ, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs: The Defence Agile Procurement Insights and Analysis (DAPIA) project

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

NSERC Discovery Grant

Lynda Khalaf, Department of Economics: Multivariate confidence procedures with application to dynamic responses and tail forecasts

NSERC-SSHRC: Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative

Vivian Hoffman, School of Public Policy and Administration: The Canadian Soil Data Portal (co-PI)

Inspirit Foundation

Duncan McCue, School of Journalism and Communication: Journalism in Indigenous Communities Certificate Program

Vancouver Foundation

Peter AndrĂŠe Department of Political Science: Knowledge Mobilization for Inherent Rights Governance

Trans-Atlantic Platform

• Paul Goode, Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies: Democracy in Exile (DemEx): A Comparative Study of Russian Migrant Communities after the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine
• Alexandra Mallett, School of Public Policy and Administration: Governance of Policy Failure Risks in the Design and Implementation of Mission -Oriented Innovation Policies – Sustainability experiences from the Global North
• Nathan Grasse, School of Public Policy and Administration: Balancing Trust and Accountability: Charities, Government, and Society

ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University introduces new Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities program.

In September 2025, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University’s School of Journalism will welcome its first cohort in the Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities program. Led by Journalism Professor Duncan McCue, the program aims to strengthen journalistic storytelling by and about Indigenous people.

“We know that there is a lot of work out there for Indigenous journalists, we know that our communities need more responsive journalism and unfortunately, there aren’t enough young Indigenous people coming up into the industry to fill the positions that are out there,” says McCue, who is also a CBC host and a citizen of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation.  â€œI’ve been teaching journalism for 15 years and every journalism school I’ve been to has only had a very small number of Indigenous students. At ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ right now, we only have three or four Indigenous students out of a student body of roughly 500.”

The Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities program (CJIIC) will feature in-person and virtual instruction from Indigenous instructors, including in-person intensives at Kenjgewin Teg on Manitoulin Island, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University, and another site yet to be named.

“We’re making sure that we have in-person intensives where the students will get to know each other and get a chance to do hands-on learning with the equipment,” McCue says. “We will be able to offer them introductory skills and if they decide after one year that they’ve got as much as they need to do what they want in their home communities—whether it’s run a radio station or set up a podcast or work on the band newsletter—then they’ll be able to do that. They will also have the chance to complete an internship at a local news or media outlet.”

Following that, if they decide they want to continue studying journalism, the students will be able to go straight into second year of the Bachelor of Journalism program at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´. Alternatively, they can continue their studies in the second year of the Bachelor of Arts, General Studies degree, which is fully online. McCue hopes the program will be a pathway to a post-secondary degree for students who prefer to stay in their home communities.

The certificate program is collaborating with Kenjgewin Teg, an Indigenous-owned and controlled post-secondary institution at M’Chigeeng First Nation on Mnidoo Mnising, Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario. It is also collaborating with Ontario’s First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI), located on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville, Ontario.

Find out more or apply to the certificate program.

Why Give?

Since its founding moments, ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´Â has had a mandate to serve the community: providing citizens with education, knowledge and opportunity. This mandate defines our promise to you as a supporter. We are Here for Good. 

Your gift to ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ brings real change to your community. If you share our conviction that there are good things to be done, we could use your help. Collaborate with us and do good things for the world.

FPGA Unit Campaigns

NPSIA Student Experience Fund

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) has spent more than 60 years preparing graduate students for global careers through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates political science, economics, law, and more. To enhance learning, NPSIA offers experiential trips to places like Washington, D.C., and Geneva, providing first-hand exposure to organizations such as the UN and World Bank.

The NPSIA Student Experience Fund helps make these opportunities more accessible by offsetting travel and participation costs, ensuring all students can benefit from this transformative, hands-on education.

Goal: $2,500 | 27 Days Left

Donate Today:

Reporting In Indigenous Communities Course

ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s School of Journalism and Communication is launching the Reporting in Indigenous Communities (RIIC) course, led by Professor Duncan McCue, to teach students how to report responsibly on Indigenous issues.

Through experiential learning, students will work in teams to produce multimedia stories on themes like health and Elders, covering three Ottawa Valley First Nations—Kitigan Zibi, Pikwàkanagàn, and Akwesasne—and Ottawa’s urban Indigenous communities. Classroom lessons, enhanced by Indigenous guest speakers and site visits, will deepen students’ understanding of Indigenous histories and worldviews. This initiative supports reconciliation by fostering respectful journalism and amplifying Indigenous voices in Canadian media.

Goal: $9,000 | 27 Days Left

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Migration and Diaspora Studies Experiential Learning Fund

The Migration and Diaspora Studies (MDS) Experiential Learning Fund empowers graduate students to gain hands-on experience in migration-related fields, from public service and cultural institutions to humanitarian NGOs. As Canada’s first program of its kind, MDS connects students with leading researchers to explore migration’s social, political, and cultural impacts.

This fund supports opportunities like field research, global meetings, and conferences, equipping students with practical skills and meaningful connections to address the complexities of migration and diaspora in their careers.

Goal: $10,000 | 27 Days Left

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Mary Ann Shadd Cary Mentorship Program for Black Journalists

The Mary Ann Shadd Cary Mentorship Program for Black Journalists connects Black students and mid-career journalists in Canada to attend the 2025 NABJ Convention, celebrating its 50th anniversary in Cleveland, Ohio.

Inspired by Shadd Cary’s legacy, the program bridges emerging talent with experienced professionals, fostering mentorship, networking, and growth. Fully funded for mentors, it supports journalism projects and skill-building, while students gain invaluable exposure to industry leaders. Together, participants strengthen representation in Canadian media, creating a more inclusive and vibrant future for journalism.

Goal: $20,000 | 13 Weeks Left

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The Annual Mary Ann Shadd Cary Lecture Series: Voices of Change in Canadian Journalism

The Mary Ann Shadd Cary Lecture Series honors the legacy of North America’s first Black woman publisher by amplifying underrepresented voices in journalism and fostering inclusive practices. Led by ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University’s School of Journalism and Communication, this annual event features prominent women and non-binary speakers, inspiring students and advancing equitable media representation.

Paired with hands-on workshops, the series provides practical learning for journalism students while celebrating Shadd Cary’s groundbreaking contributions to diversity and justice in media. Support for this initiative ensures a lasting platform for critical discussions on representation and a more inclusive future for Canadian journalism.

Goal: $55,000 | 9 Months Left

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The Christopher Stoney Student Experience Fund

Christopher Stoney, a dedicated faculty member in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) from 2003 until his passing in 2021, was renowned for his teaching excellence and commitment to student learning. A recipient of numerous teaching awards, Chris also excelled outside the classroom, supervising countless graduate and undergraduate projects, co-authoring 15 papers with students, and coaching ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s CAPPA Case Competition team to multiple victories.

In his honor, the SPPA created this fund to enhance experiential learning opportunities, such as policy competitions, professional skills workshops, and field trips. These initiatives bridge academic theory with practical application, preparing students for impactful careers in public policy and administration.

Goal: $150,000 | 12 Months Left

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