From left: Thomas Dunk, Brock University's Dean of Social Sciences, Barbara Wake Carroll, Terry Carroll, retired Brock Associate Professor, Hevina Dashwood, Chair of Political Science and Charles Conteh, Graduate Program Director, Political Science.A full-time student from Africa entering Brock University’s MA program in Political Science will be eligible for a new financial award thanks to a donation from retired Associate Professor Terry Carroll and his wife Barbara Wake Carroll.
In a fitting end to a year of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Department of Political Science, a reception honouring the couple took place last week.
Recognizing academic excellence and financial need, the Carroll Scholarship in Political Science will be awarded annually to a full-time student from Africa.
The scholarship, which is funded by the Carrolls’ donation and matched by the Ontario Graduate Fellowship Program, will be awarded for the first time to a student who is entering the program in September of 2016.
For over three decades, the MA in Political Science has attracted students from Africa, many of whom have gone on to doctoral and post-doctoral studies, as well as careers in law, teaching and politics. One graduate currently works in the President’s Office for the Government of Ghana.
As a faculty member at Brock, Terry Carroll, who specialized in the politics of developing areas, supervised many of these graduate students. During his remarks at the reception, Carroll acknowledged how these relationships shaped his career, and noted the very challenging financial circumstances he and his wife Barbara — a Professor Emeritus from McMaster University — saw students facing.
The Carrolls also announced that in addition to their initial gift to establish the scholarship, they will be augmenting the fund in the future with a substantial bequest, thus ensuring the on-going strength and vitality of the MA in Political Science.
Department Chair Hevina Dashwood believes graduate students from Africa greatly enrich the graduate program.
“The diversity of perspectives and experiences these students bring has strengthened the intellectual exchange of ideas, benefiting both domestic and international graduate students,” she said.
Graduate Program Director Charles Conteh said the graduate program welcomes the opportunity to attract top-notch students by offering generous financial support.
“The scholarship supports one of Brock’s core strategic goals — expanding our international reach and attracting more of the best students from around the world,” he said.
“International students who successfully graduate from our program after experiencing our teaching and research excellence and benefiting from the generosity of our awards often become enthusiastic ambassadors of the University in their home countries and beyond.”
