Fall 2020 / Winter 2021 @Uoft Polsci Politics.Utoronto.Ca
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university of toronto /politics.utoronto fall 2020 / winter 2021 @uoft_polsci politics.utoronto.ca politics department of political science 2 POLITICS Fall 2020/ Winter 2021 Department Updates ROBERT VIPOND JACQUES BERTRAND DICKSON EYOH ANDREA OLIVE MARGARET KOHN Interim Chair, Graduate Director Undergraduate Director Chair, Chair, UTSG & Associate Chair & Associate Chair UTM UTSC With little relief from Graduate program activity It remains strange to process The department at UTM has In her essay, “The Uses of COVID-19 in sight, faculty has been far from business the reality of an academic made a full transition to online Disaster,” Rebecca Solnit continue to discover inno- as usual. Our primary focus year online, to visit a ghostlike teaching and virtual connec- makes an unsettling claim: vative ways to deliver cours- recently has been to navigate campus, and to be greeted by tion aided by tremendous sup- everyone has their favorite es (mainly) online this fall our way through COVID-19 eerie silence upon arrival at port from our staff, who have disaster. Disasters bring – synchronous, asynchro- disruptions by way of town Sidney Smith Hall. The phys- become experts on Quercus, communities together by nous, and hybrid - replete hall check-ins with students, ical and psychological chal- Zoom, & MS Teams. Over providing an opportunity to with discussion boards, and working with FAS and lenges of interacting virtually the summer, we all learned express solidarity in action. podcasts, video segments, SGS to provide emergency persist for our students, facul- new platforms with our junior In some ways, COVID-19 and online office hours. supports including completion ty and staff. As we approach scholars starting a Zoom writ- has been a disaster of a When the pandemic struck, bursaries, tuition exemptions year end, it is heartening that ing group that has kept their disaster because its distinc- we were in the midst of ren- and research pivoting funds. our worst anxieties have not spirits high as book dead- tive feature is isolation. Yet ovating our undergraduate Faculty from our methods materialized. Departmental lines loom. In the past year, serving as Chair during the curriculum to give students area group have recently de- support for online teaching almost every faculty member pandemic has given me the greater flexibility and choice. veloped a series of workshops ensured that faculty gained in the department – including opportunity to appreciate Students are still required to help students pivot their the fundamental expertise all seven junior scholars – the resilience and selfless- to study Canadian politics, research and explore new required to respond speedi- received grant funding for a ness of students, staff and political philosophy, and ways of gathering data under ly to technical problems both research project and four fac- faculty. The UTSC Political learn the basics of statisti- COVID restrictions. In terms during and outside class. We ulty have a forthcoming book. Science Student Associa- cal methods. Subsequently, of more ‘regular’ changes, a have maintained the calendar The icing on the celebratory tion (PSSA) offered to run they now can mix and match new PhD exit survey is cur- of key aspects of the under- cake was Steven Bernstein community-building activ- semester rather than year- rently in circulation and will be graduate program and will being named a Distinguished ities in first-year courses long courses, and we have used to gauge student expe- continue to respond to stu- Professor at UTM and, on the to combat isolation and to introduced a set of new and rience. Finally, we continue to dent enquiries. We secured teaching side, Richard Day carry out a research project diverse first-year courses have success with PhD place- approval for the launch of marking 50 years at UTM this about student mental health. to give incoming students a ments, including tenure-track phase two of the new curric- past June! As COVID-19 con- In the summer, the faculty panoramic view of the study positions at the University of ulum: the retirement of 300 tinues to disrupt our lives, we enthusiastically embraced of politics. We also now re- Amsterdam, University of Tex- and 400 level Y courses and have yet to commemorate the professional development quire our students to take as at Austin, Fudan Universi- their replacement with new H retirement of Ronald Beiner workshops that helped them courses that speak to the ty, University of Ottawa and courses in addition to a new and Mark Lippincott, both of design high-quality on-line themes of equity, diversity, the University of Guelph, as second-year elective course whom spent their careers at courses. The staff not only and inclusion. Pandemic or well as postdoc positions at in Qualitative Methods. On UTM. Finally, the department did a fantastic job transi- no, our enrolment among Harvard, University of British behalf of the Undergraduate prepares to say goodbye to tioning to remote work, they new students has increased Columbia, McGill University, Office, I wish everyone a fan- Erin Tolley, who has taken a also implemented on-line smartly over last year. On a University of Western Ontario tastic holiday and very much position at Carleton Universi- birthday celebrations and very sad note, we continue and the University of Michi- look forward to the post- ty (January 1, 2021). We will coffee breaks, to ensure to mourn the loss of our col- gan. COVID era of an in-person miss her and wish her all the that no one felt too discon- league and friend Carolina academy. best in Ottawa. nected. I am also proud that de Miguel Moyer, who died our administration strongly much too young from meta- supports efforts to combat static cancer in August. You anti-black racism, funding a will find a beautiful tribute to senior position for a scholar Carolina on page 3. of Afro-Caribbean thought in our department. POLITICS Fall 2020/ Winter 2021 Tribute 3 In Memoriam In what has already been an exceedingly always made herself available. Carolina re- difficult year, we were profoundly saddened ally was the model of an academic mentor.” by the passing of our dear colleague, Caroli- It was not only her willingness to help that na de Miguel Moyer, on August 20th. Carol, endeared her to students but the manner in as she was known to her family and friends, which she offered assistance – calm, com- lost a battle with cancer, four days after her posed, collegial, and always constructive. 41st birthday. She was a gifted researcher, a committed teacher, an exceptional mentor, a Carol was an incredible public citizen of the wonderful mother and partner, an amazing Department. She taught core courses at friend, and one of the finest people any of us the graduate and undergraduate levels, or- could ever hope to meet. ganized the department seminar series for three years, actively participated in work- Carol was born in Barcelona, Spain, and shops and seminars, and served on a va- grew up there. As the daughter of two aca- riety of departmental committees. She was demics, she was introduced to the world of generous with her time, and made meaning- books, ideas, and issues from an early age. ful and essential contributions to the overall Carol was also exposed to a range of glob- well-being of the department. al experiences through her life. Apart from Barcelona and Toronto, she spent extended Away from her academic pursuits, Carol was periods of time in California, Chicago, Tokyo, truly a multi-faceted person who lived a full Paris, Ann Arbor, and Adelaide. Carol com- and varied life. Her interests were wide-rang- pleted her undergraduate degree at the Uni- ing – she was an excellent chef and baker, a versitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, and her proficient skier, an enthusiastic runner, was MA and PhD at the University of Michigan. taking painting and ceramics classes, and enjoyed a range of cultural experiences from From the time she came to our department music to movies, theatre and art. Carol had in 2012, Carol was an integral, much-valued, a very keen sense of aesthetics and style. As and much-loved member of the department. our department communications officer, Jen- As a researcher, she was well on her way to nifer O’Reilly, described, “Carolina always establishing herself as an important scholar had a gentle chicness to her!” of parties, electoral behavior, federalism and decentralization, and political geography. Carolina de Miguel Moyer Above all, Carol will be remembered for Her publications reflected her impressive- embodying the qualities towards which ly sharp intellect and keen insight, and her (1979 - 2020) many of us strive. She was an incredibly articles have appeared in the British Journal kind, sensitive, generous, and empathetic of Political Science, Comparative Political ous undergraduate and graduate students. person whose calm demeanour, patience, Studies, and Electoral Studies, amongst oth- Since her death, it has been bittersweet to thoughtfulness, and open-mindedness were ers. She was also the author of several book learn from students how much Carol meant enormous sources of strength to everyone chapters and was in the process of complet- to them and how instrumental she had around her. She was the voice of reason in ing her manuscript, Divided Geographies: been in guiding their interests. Every sin- any circumstance and was always ready to Diversity, Inclusive Parties, and the Condi- gle one of them highlighted her incredible lend a helpful ear to anyone who needed it. tions for Nationalization. Her book project kindness, collegiality, and generosity. From Carol was also one of those rare souls who sought to explain when and why regional helping students find a research question, never uttered a sharp word, and her gentle parties succeed in nationalizing.