Desserud appointed to federal council
UPEI political science professor Don Desserud has been appointed to the governing council for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the university has announced.
Desserud is among a list of recently announced appointments and renewals of several members of this council.
“The appointment of Dr. Desserud to the SSHRC governing council is a singular honour for one of UPEI’s most widely recognized experts in political science.” said Robert Gilmour, vice-president academic and research at UPEI.
“In addition, the appointment provides UPEI with an opportunity to help guide the development of research focus areas and funding priorities for one of the university’s most important sources of extramural research support.”
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. The agency invests over $350 million annually, supporting more than 8,000 graduate students and nearly 14,000 researchers.
Prior to coming to UPEI in 2011 as dean of arts, Desserud was an associate dean of graduate studies at UNBSJ. Originally from Bathurst, New Brunswick, he earned his BA and MA from Dalhousie University and a PhD in political science from the University of Western Ontario. He also has an MA in English and creative writing from UNB.
He is currently a professor of political science at UPEI and frequently comments on political issues in local and national media. Desserud will be a member of the governing council for a two-year term.