Department of Political Science
Hagey Hall, room 315
Tel 519 888-4567 x 32100
Undergraduate inquiries: x 33396
Graduate inquiries: x 32415
The Department of Political Science has fostered my growth by offering conferences, seminars, presentations, career guidance, and by promoting inter-department workshops. The classes offered have been incredibly stimulating, thought provoking, and well structured. I have been able to analyze, critique, and reflect on the international system from different perspectives, which has reinforced my passion and energy to contribute to society.
Student stories
Here in the Department of Political Science, we're proud of our graduate students and their unique achievements, both inside and outside the classroom. Our students are talented researchers, skilled communicators, and engaged individuals who contribute to a thriving and dynamic department.
We invite you to take a moment to learn more about the graduate student experience in the Department of Political Science!
Jacqueline Harber - Being a Teaching Assistant
Zeynep Arslangiray Yaser - Co-op, Anti-Money Laundering Investigator
Lavina Chu - Co-op, IT and Business Compliance Analyst
Student profiles
2020-2021 MA students
Yesar Al-Maleki
Prior Degrees:
Masters of Science in Energy Economics from IFP School in Paris, France and a Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) in Petroleum from the Petronas University of Technology in Malaysia.
Research Interests:
Political Economy, Post-Conflict Development, Climate Change, Energy Geopolitics, Resource Governance, Public Policy, Globalisation, Fourth Industrial Revolution and Multilateral Organisations.
Keagan Andrew
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in History from the University of Calgary.
Research Interests:
Electoral Politics and Decision Making in Small Urban and Rural Municipalities & Local Governments, Multi-Level Government, Non-State Actors in International Relations and Canadian Public Policy.
Alanna Benson
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with a Speech Communication Minor from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Climate Change, Canadian Politics, Environmental Conservation Policy, Global Energy Justice, Global Governance, Indigenous Relations, Inter-Governmental Relations, Public Policy, and Sustainable Energy Policy.
William Clarke-Coward
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Political Science with Concentration in Public Law from Brock University.
Research Interests:
Public Policy / Political Philosophy
Canadian & Comparative Constitutionalism; Human Rights & Social Justice; Judicial policy & decision making; the Dialogue principle; interest group legal mobilization; LGBTQ2S+ history & future advocacy; Marxist Critical theory; Cosmopolitan International Relations; Linguistic theory & Discourse analysis
Ahmad Hamedi
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Sociology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), and a diploma in English literature from KPU. I also have a certificate in Project management from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and another diploma in office management from South Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) via Afghan Canadian Community Center ACCC.
Research Interests:
International Relations, Global governance, Peace-building, War crimes and violence studies, and Human rights.
Robain Imran
Prior Degrees:
BA Honours political science, minor in international studies and specialization in international relations, from UWaterloo.
Research Interests:
Globalization, south Asian politics, voter behaviour, wars and conflicts and international institutions
Danielle LaBrash
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Studies with a Minor in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan.
Research Interests:
Climate Change, Climate Justice, Indigenous Rights, Canadian Politics, Environmental Conservation Politics and Policy, International Environmental Governance, Transition Economics.
Emily Lorentz
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Canadian Politics, Public Policy, Environmental Politics and Policy, Global Environmental Governance, Climate Justice, Campaigns and Elections, and Political Marketing.
Tamsyn McShane
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Monash University, Australia, with a double major in Politics and Psychology.
Research Interests:
Discourse analysis, social policy, Australian and American politics, democratic theory, and populist movements.
Laura Moore
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours Legal Studies with minors in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Social Justice, Canadian Public Policy, Human Rights, Inequality, Marginalized Communities and Indigenous Rights.
Shirqille Tisi
Prior Degrees:
Masters of Public Service; Honours Bachelors of Arts with a specialist in Political Science and Minor in Semiotics, media & communications.
Research Interests:
Digital government, City & local government, Voting behaviour & Political branding, China-Canada Relations; Generalized areas: Canadian Politics, Comparative politics & International Relations, Democratic theory & Nation building, Global governance.
Erin Yantzi
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Joint Honours, With Distinction) in Anthropology, and Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Critical Military Studies, Special Operations Forces, Remote Warfare, Militarism, Nonviolence, Canadian Defence Policy.
2019-2020 MA students
Richard Beattie
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen's University with a minor in Art History.
Research Interests:
International Political Economy, International Relations, US politics, UK politics, Neoliberalism, and Conflict Studies.
Samantha Crincoli
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science from the University of Guelph.
Research Interests:
Canadian Public Policy, Canadian Domestic Politics, Human Rights, Civil Society Movements, Local Government, Aboriginal Affairs and Relations, Intergovernmental Relations.
Samantha Dalo
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminology with minors in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Windsor.
Research Interests:
Immigrant and racialized youth voting behaviours, Middle Eastern Affairs and relationship with the U.S., International Relations, Global Governance, and Conflict Studies.
Emilyne (Emmy) Egulu
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Research Interests:
Public Health, Identity Politics, Ethics in World Politics, the Politics of Authoritarianism, Conflict Studies, and Public Policy.
Sadia Farah
Prior Degrees:
Research Interests:
Alexander Farrell
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Government, with News Studies minor, and and Law minor from Ryerson University.
Research Interests:
Canadian Politics, American Politics, Media and Politics, Electoral Politics, Populist and Nationalist movements.
Sukhneet Kahlon
Prior Degrees:
Research Interests:
Peter Lawler
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours Global Studies with a Research Specialization, Peace and Conflict Studies Specialization, and a Spanish minor from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Research Interests:
Middle Eastern Affairs, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, relationship between socio-political and manufacturer networks in contemporary arms trade and control, policy creation and application of resilience-based approaches to peacebuilding and disarmament in conflict zones, and the effects of conflict on Sustainable Development in Global South nations.
Verity Martin
Prior Degrees:
Honours Bachelor of Arts Speech Communication with a minor in Political Science, University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Climate Change, Political Security, State Sovereignty, and Global Governance.
Kallen Morrison
Prior Degrees:
Research Interests:
Emma Nero
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science, Criminal Justice and Public Policy from the University of Guelph.
Research Interests:
International Relations, Foreign Aid and Intervention, Conflict and Conflict Resolution and Democratization.
Viktoriya Vinik
Prior Degrees:
Research Interests:
Timothy Wilson
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts Honours in Political Studies and a minor in History from Queen’s University.
Research Interests:
American Foreign Policy, Conflict Resolution, Politics of Authoritarianism and Politics of the Middle East.
2018-2019 MA students
Leen AbdelQader
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations from Carleton University.
Research Interests:
Middle Eastern Affairs, U.S. Foreign Policy toward the Middle East, Israel-Palestine Conflict, International Affairs, Political Theory, and Political Economy.
David Benjamin Billedeau
Prior degrees:
Joint Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo in History and Peace/Conflict Studies (2011); Master’s degree from Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (2013); Graduate Diploma in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2015); Certificate in Business Communications from the University of Waterloo (2018).
Research interests:
Business and Government Relations; Canadian Public Policy; Energy Policy; Global Governance; International Trade and Security; Negotiations; Political Elections and Campaigns; US Domestic Politics; South African Domestic Politics
Chris Casey
Prior Degrees:
Honours Bachelor of Arts Political Science from Brock University.
Research Interests:
International Relations, Private Global Governance, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Policekeeping, Economic Development, and Labour Rights.
Francis W Engli
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University, two years of study at University of Alberta in International Relation. Two years of work experience with Human Right, and Political Engagement Campaigns.
Research Interests:
Information Warfare, Cyber Security, Weapons of Mass Destruction, International Relations, Right Wing Extremism, Human Rights, Conflict Resolution.
Dylan Fielding
Prior Degree:
Bachelor of Arts Honours Psychology - Sociology from the University of Guelph.
Research Interests:
Electoral studies, political campaigning in the digital age, political parties, public policy & international political economy.
Jacqueline Harber
Prior Degrees:
Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Concentration in Public Law and a Minor in French Studies from Brock University.
Research Interests:
International Security, Global Governance, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, Political Theory.
Kevin McCaffrey
Prior Degrees: Honours Bachelor of Arts Political Science, Politics and Business Specialization from the University of Waterloo
Research Interests: Political Economy, Canadian Politics, Public Policy.
Sainbuyan Munkhbat
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in International Economic Relation, completed in 2013 from the National University of Mongolia. MA in Economics, completed in 2016 from the Yonsei University (South Korea).
Research Interests:
International Relations, International Political Economy, Foreign Aids and Foreign Policy and Canadian Politics.
Kathy Nguyen
Prior Degrees:
Honours Bachelor of Arts (specializing in Political Science) from the University of Toronto; Certificate of Business Communications from the University of Toronto - School of Continuing Studies.
Research Interests:
International Relations; Global Governance; International Security; Conflict and Conflict Resolution; Human Rights.
Gordon Shields
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Honours English-Literature and Rhetoric from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
Political Economy, Tax Reform, Public Policy, Decentralization.
Morgan Slessor
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Research Interests:
Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control, Public Health, and Human Rights Theory.
Chuqi (Steven) Wei
Prior degrees:
Bachelor of Applied Science in Honours Nanotechnology Engineering, Co-operative Program, with a minor in History from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests:
China’s foreign policies and Belt and Road Initiative, global energy development, global cyber security, trade and international political economy, geopolitics on the Eurasia Continent.
Ifra Zahid
Prior degrees:
Honours Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Research Interests:
International Relations, Global governance, Violence and conflict studies, Conflict Resolution, Human Rights and Security.
2017-2018 MA students
Zeynep Arslangiray Yasar
Prior Degrees: BA in International Relations, completed in 2010 from Bilkent University (Turkey). 6 years of work experience on Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.
Research Interests: International/Forced Migration, Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, Conflict Resolution, International Human Rights and Politics of Middle East.
Aidan Barrett
Prior Degrees: BA Political Science Honours, Global Governance Specialization from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests: Global Governance, International Political Economy, Conflict and Conflict Resolution.
Lavina Chu
Prior degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science & Honours Arts and Business from the University of Waterloo
Research Interests: Canadian public policy, politics of China / Taiwan, ethnic conflict, internet governance.
Hamid Durrani
Prior degrees: BA from Idaho State University in Political Science and International Studies, with a concentration on Political and Economic Development.
Research Interests: Policies and politics that shape regional security, Peace, Conflict Resolution, and Terrorism.
Hari Jnawali
Prior degrees: TBA
Research Interests: TBA
Jeremiah Johnson
Prior Degrees: Joint Honours in Legal Studies and Political Science with a Minor in Sociology completed in 2017 from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests: International Political Economy, American Trade Relations, Currency Evaluations, Canadian National Security, Global Governance, and International Law.
William Stuart McGhie
Prior Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Honours Political Science with a Specialization in Politics and Business and a Minor in Economics from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests: Populism, Nationalism, the Trump/Brexit movements, International Relations and International Political Economy.
Nizar Mohamad
Prior degrees: HBA in International Studies, completed in 2014 from Glendon College, York University.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Peace and Security, Peace and Conflict, Critical Security Studies, Transnational terrorism, Political Islamism and the radicalization process, Contemporary Middle Eastern Affairs, including the geopolitics of the MENA region, the legacies of decolonization and state formation in the MENA region, and Postcolonial Studies.
Bradley Noonan
Prior Degrees: BSc with a double major in Biology and Political Science at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Research Interests: American Relations, Canadian Public and Foreign Policy, Climate Change, and International Human Rights.
Rajithan Sivakularajah
Prior Degrees: TBA
Research Interests: TBA
Hasan Sleiman
Prior Degrees: BA in Economics from the University of Windsor; Bachelor of Public Affairs from Wayne State University.
Research Interests: Middle East Politics, International Relations, Political Economy, Game Theory, Political Theory, Philosophy, U.S Foreign Policy, Human Rights and International Law, Global Conflicts.
Mackenzie Smith
Prior Degrees: BA in Political Science from the University of New Brunswick.
Research Interests: Canadian politics, Canadian Courts and Government, National Security, Identity Politics.
Karolina Szymczyk
Prior Degrees: BA in Honours Political Science with two minors in History and Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests: The Israel-Palestine Conflict, Water and Resource Scarcity, Sustainable Development and the UN SDG's, Youth Involvement in Peace Processes and Fostering Conflict Resolution.
Nadine Y. Thibeh
Prior Degrees: Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Honours Political Science & Honours Arts and Business, Co-operative Program, International Studies Minor, and Arabic Language I Certificate from the University of Waterloo.
Research Interests: Conflict and Security, Middle East, Post-Conflict, US Foreign Policy, Regional Integration, Peace and Conflict.
Shanaya Vanhooren
Prior Degrees: Double Honours BA in Political Science and History from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Research Interests: Local Politics, Canadian Public Policy, Governance, Ontario Provincial Politics, Intergovernmental Relations.