With two weeks to go before Americans cast their vote, Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement at McMaster University hosted a discussion between experts in political science, communications and leadership to explore the election’s impact on Canada-U.S. relations.

Faculty members Don Abelson, Karen Bird and Terry Flynn joined moderator and Wilson College external advisory council member Giancarlo Da-Re, who is the director of policy and stakeholder relations for Ontario’s Solicitor General, for the timely panel discussion.

Join us on October 31, 2024 to learn more about The Prophetic and the Crisis of American Democracy with Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Hosted by Dr. Henry A. Giroux and Dr. Don Abelson.

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., is an educator, author, political commentator, and public intellectual who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, and his The New York Times bestseller, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own, take an exhaustive look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States, and the challenges we face as a democracy. His latest book, We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For is a radical and passionate call for everyday people to take responsibility for saving democracy.

Our Academic Director, Dr. Don Abelson, recently participated as a panelist in the inaugural McMaster Dialogues, a university-led series focused on addressing global challenges through multilateralism and collective action. The discussion explored strategies for enhancing international peace and security in today’s complex world.

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, McMaster University’s Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement is bringing together political experts to explore how the results could redefine Canada’s future.

“The Choice 2024: The U.S. Presidential Election and its Implications for Canada”, on Oct. 22, 2024, will provide a deep dive into the election’s social, political and economic impact on Canada, featuring diverse perspectives and expert analysis.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Gurratan Singh, former MPP for Brampton-East and a McMaster University alumnus (BA Religious Studies and Philosophy).Gurratan will share how his background in the social sciences and humanities provided a strong foundation for success in law school and his career in public service.

Historian Kristina Llewellyn has been named an affiliate faculty member with the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement, the first from the faculty of Humanities. Llewellyn, who has spent the past 15 years at the University of Waterloo’s departments of Social Development Studies and History, is also joining McMaster’s department of History.

She holds a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia and an MA from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Llewellyn’s work focuses largely on oral histories, and how those can be used to teach young people about historical injustices to lay the groundwork for meaningful responses and action.

At the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement’s first public event, community members and visitors enjoyed a free-flowing conversation on effective leadership styles, the challenges facing today’s youth and the role of the college and other institutions in nurturing future leaders.

Mark Hill, former elected chief of Six Nations of the Grand River; Steve Paikin, journalist and host of TVO’s The Agenda; and Medora Uppal, chief executive officer of YWCA Hamilton, joined moderator and Wilson College external director Sara Wolfe for a panel discussion around leadership, civic engagement, and the important connections between the two.

Sara Wolfe, an executive leader and Indigenous advocate, has been named the inaugural external director of Wilson College.

As external director, Wolfe will oversee Wilson College’s external advisory council, which is made up of leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors and advises the College’s academic director and internal governing board.

Wilson College’s first public lecture will be a panel discussion on leadership and civic engagement featuring Medora Uppal, CEO of YWCA Hamilton, Mark Hill,  former elected chief of Six Nations of the Grand River, and Steve Paikin, journalist and host of TVO’s The Agenda. The panel will be moderated by Sara Wolfe, Wilson College’s newly appointed external director.

The event will take place on Wednesday, April 3 starting at 7 p.m. in the L.R. Wilson Concert Hall on the McMaster campus. The event is free, but registration is required.

In this op/ed, Wilson College academic director Dr. Don Abelson shares his thoughts on how best to develop a new generation of empathetic leaders who are motivated to listen to those around them and make a difference.

Madeline Van Impe is the newly appointed assistant director, planning and administration, of Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.

In her role, Van Impe will provide direct administrative and operational support to the Wilson College leadership team.

Read more about Madeline Van Impe in this Q and A.

Wilson College academic candidates with research and teaching specialties that align with the College’s vision, including those that offer critical and interdisciplinary perspectives. The successful candidate will be appointed as assistant professor (tenure stream) or associate professor with tenure to an existing department in McMaster’s Faculty of Humanities or Faculty of Social Sciences and be affiliated with Wilson College.

McMaster University seeks outstanding candidates for the prestigious Wilson College Endowed Chair in Leadership and Civic Studies.

Through mentorship, guidance, problem-based learning sessions, participation in community projects and financial support, Wilson Leaders learn the foundational skills to help them become leaders in solving complex problems within Canadian communities.

As L.R. “Red” Wilson looked out on the crowd gathered in the concert hall of L.R. Wilson Hall — a building bearing his own name — he thanked his wife, children and grandchildren for being there.

For more than six decades, L.R. “Red” Wilson has been a champion of McMaster University. View a timeline of his many contributions.

Read more about the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement in the Globe and Mail.

Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement, a program at McMaster dedicated to learning about leadership in all its facets, is launching thanks to a $50-million donation from philanthropist Lynton (Red) Wilson, that McMaster officials say is the largest single gift to liberal arts education ever in Canada.

A former McMaster University executive, who spent 50 years in public service and private industry, is set to gift the institution $50 million for a leadership and civic engagement college.