The Department of Political Science bids a fond farewell to two retiring professors who have committed a total of 77 years to supporting the scholarship and teaching of political science at Brock University.

Charles Burton, who came to Brock in 1989 as a successor to Victor Fic, is known not only for his teaching and research but also for having served Canada twice as a diplomat at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, and for spending several years as director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Democracy Project for the Royal Society of Canada. Burton says, “I am very grateful to the Department and to Brock for providing such a stable platform for my work.”

“Over the years I have been frequently commissioned to write reports for the Government of Canada. Seeing my policy recommendations enacted has been deeply gratifying. Similarly, I have been honoured to be called to give evidence to Canadian Parliamentary Committees on numerous occasions. I have given named lectures and have been invited to make a very large number of presentations at universities and government institutions in North America, Europe and Asia.

“But for me, what I will remember best about my time at Brock has been the enduring friendships with my international graduate students, many of whom have been natives of the Republic of Ghana. The mutual affection and respect engendered by our being drawn together by Brock connects us in ways that have been very meaningful for me.”

Upon his retirement, Burton takes on two new roles, becoming a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad in Ottawa and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the European Values Center for Security Studies in Prague. “Assuming these affiliations has led to stimulating and productive beginnings for me with a new network of collaborators and friends,” Burton says.

Juris Dreifelds first began teaching in the department in 1974 and was tenured in 1982. He says he has many positive memories of Brock and its faculty, staff, and students.

“I particularly remember my mentor, the late Professor Victor Fic, who was initially the Chair of the Department. He was what today would be called a ‘force of nature’ with many published, world-class books. Indeed, one of the seminar rooms bears his name.”

Prof. Dreifelds also describes being “almost awe-struck by the collective intelligence of the early pioneers of our Department such as Bill Hull, Ken Kernaghan, Bill Matheson, Terry Carrol, Rod Church, Gerry Dirks, Carl Baar, and Pat Sewell.” He also “fondly remembers Leah Bradshaw, Charles Burton, Paul Hamilton (my former student), Charles Conteh, Ingrid Makus, Livianna Tossuti, and Hevina Dashwood,” and says that although his interactions with newer faculty members have been less frequent, he has observed that “the more recent, new generation appointments are also great.”

Prof. Dreifelds also makes a point of acknowledging the skills and commitment of the the department’s staff members.

“We were fortunate to have acquired excellent staff over four decades. Of particular note have been Diane Leon and Claire Gallop, without whose help I would have seriously floundered in filling out the many complicated Brock bureaucratic forms—especially in Workday! I was really saddened by the premature passing away of our excellent long-term secretary Dorothy Krynicki. She was a straight shooter but took care of, and I would say ‘mothered,’ the Department, reminding ‘delinquent’ professors about deadlines.”

In his retirement, Prof. Dreifelds plans to spend a lot of time outdoors, either near the Baltic Sea, where he has a property, or fishing in the Lake of Bays, or hiking through the local beauty of Short Hills Park. He may even dabble in politics!

Ingrid Makus, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and a long-time colleague of both retiring faculty members, says that “Professor Dreifelds and Professor Burton have been wonderful colleagues in the Department of Political Science,” and notes their lasting and far-reaching impact:

“Both are scholars who have been generous in sharing their expertise with their students by developing and teaching large undergraduate courses and supervising MA students—many of whom have gone on to take on positions in government and academia.”

Claudia Salgado Ramirez, MA International Relations 2006, living in Mexico

Catharine Liailson Little, MA Comparative Politics, 2006, living in Canada

Kai-Lii Veer, MA Comparative Politics, 2006, living in Canada

Margaret Corbett, BA in Political Science, 2011, living in Canada

Fortunate Kwabena Fio, MA International Relations, 2006, living in Ghana

Prof. Mike White Kpessa, MA International Relations, 2005, living in Ghana

Joe Van Troost, MA International Relations, 2006, living in Canada

Gareth Robinson, MA Canadian Politics, 2006, living in the UK

Sarah Pacey, BA Political Science, 2008, living in Canada

Thomas J. Saxby, BA & MA Political Science, 2006, living in Canada

Jeanette Wassink, BA Political Science, 2005, living in Canada

Prof. Amanda Coffie, MA Political Science, 2006, living in Canada

Bjørnar Egede-Nissen, BA Political Science, 2008, living in Canada

Monica Pantazi, MA International Relations 2006, living in the UK

Know that your contributions have been recognized and appreciated by students and staff at Brock and around the world.