Dr. Boris DeWiel
Associate Professor and Department Chair
BA (Athabasca), MEDes (Calgary), PhD (Calgary)
Office:  ADMIN 3076
Tel:       250-960-5662
Email:   boris.dewiel@unbc.ca

When I was a university student, my best teachers were those who knew that reality is hard to understand, never mind change. Now I specialize in the history of philosophy. My favorite philosophers are the ancient ones who believed in reality but knew it is not just what you see. My second favorite are the modern ones who don’t believe in reality like the ancients but who are very smart. It’s fun to study smart people with whom you disagree, so I mostly read them. 

In my current research, I’m studying the idea of creativity. I think some people don’t want to believe in reality because they’d rather believe in creativity. For them, so-called "reality" is just a narrative created by humans. But I think the belief in human creativity has been inherited from religion without believers knowing it. They don’t want to know it because they want to be original, but they're not. In philosophers, the belief can be deep, so my project is to uproot it.

Dr. DeWiel will be on sabbatical starting January 1, 2013 and will return January 1, 2014.

Jason Morris
Lecturer
Office:  ADMIN 3063
Tel:       250-960-5931
Email:  jason.morris@unbc.ca
Website

Jason Morris has been teaching political science at UNBC since 2000, and is also an alumnus. He has worked in many positions in the so-called “real world” of politics and government. As a political scientist, Jason is interested in the politics of health care, BC and political parties.

Dr. Michael Murphy
Associate Professor,
Canada Research Chair
Graduate Advisor
MA (Western), PhD (McGill)
Office:   ADMIN 3075
Tel:       250-960-6683
Email:   michael.murphy@unbc.ca
Website

Michael is an Associate Professor in the Political Science Program at the University of Northern British Columbia, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Comparative Indigenous State Relations.  Michael's research interests include citizenship and democratic theory, indigenous rights and governance, multiculturalism, and the political philosophy of nationalism and self-determination.

Michael’s authored and co-authored publications include Multiculturalism. A Critical Introduction (2012), In Defense of Multinational Citizenship (2005), and Sub-State Nationalism: A Comparative Analysis of Institutional Design (2002. His current research focuses on reconciliation and indigenous self-determination, and the socio-political determinants of indigenous health.

Dr. Tracy Summerville
Associate Professor
BA and MA (University of Western Ontario); PhD (University of Laval)
Office:  ADMIN 3067
Tel:       250-960-6637
Email:   tracy.summerville@unbc.ca
Website

Dr. Tracy Summerville is an Associate Professor of Political Science at UNBC and the Coordinator of the Foundation Year Curriculum Program. Her research includes work on sustainable communities and a study on the impacts of globalization on northern British Columbia. Dr. Summerville has been a part of the Foundation Year Curriculum Program Committee since its inception in 2010. Dr. Summerville loves to be in the classroom and she believes deeply in empowering students to take ownership of their learning.  She was the recipient of the UNBC Teaching Award in 2000 and she was short listed for the Canadian Political Science Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2010. She also received the 2011 Robert W. Tait Award on Implementing Teaching Excellence at UNBC.

Dr. Gary Wilson
Associate Professor & Acting Department Chair
BA (Hons) in Political Science (Carleton); MA in Russian and East European Studies (Toronto); PhD in Political Science (Toronto)
Office:  ADMIN 3066
Tel:       250-960-5514
Email:  gary.wilson@unbc.ca

My research and teaching examines the remarkable resiliency and adaptability of regions and communities in the face of the powerful forces of global change.  My work on Arctic politics and governance explores the multidimensional relationships that exist between Inuit regional governments and organizations, and non-Aboriginal governments at the provincial, national and international levels.  I am also interested in the ways that small island regions, such as the Isle of Man in the British Isles, are protecting and revitalizing their indigenous languages and cultures in a world that is becoming increasingly homogenized.  Closer to home, I study the impacts that global processes and changes are having on communities across northern British Columbia and other parts of the Canadian provincial norths.

Dr. John Young
Associate Professor
BA (Hons) (Alberta); MA (Carleton); PhD (Toronto)
Office:  ADMIN 3071
Tel:       250-960-6636
Email:  john.young@unbc.ca

John Young teaches comparative politics and has written numerous articles and chapters on Russian politics. He has worked or studied in Canada, the United States, Germany, Russia and Japan. He has recently returned from an extended leave (2001-2004), spending the previous three years residing in Moscow. He is currently examining the pursuit of a new public philosophy in post Soviet Russia.

Adjunct Faculty

Walter Babicz
Adjunct Professor
B. Ed. (UBC); Juris Doctor (UVic)
Email:   walter.babicz@unbc.ca

Walt practised law as an associate and partner of a local law firm, primarily in the areas of municipal law, real estate development and business law. In 2008, Walt joined the City of Prince George as Manager of Legislative Services, and currently carries out the responsibilities of Corporate Officer as well as providing in-house legal services on certain matters. Walt began teaching courses at UNBC in 2002.  In the Political Science department, Walt teaches courses relating to local government law and introductory Canadian law.   Walt also teaches the business law component of a course in the MBA program. 

Dr. Alberto De Feo
Adjunct Professor
B.Sc. (Taranto - Italy), PhD (Camerino - Italy
Email:    defeo@unbc.ca

Dr. Alberto De Feo has worked in local government since 1987 and is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Lake Country. His local government career began in Italy where he was a City Manager until he moved to Canada. He worked as the Deputy Municipal Clerk for the Corporation of Delta.  He then joined the District of Pitt Meadows in 1997 as Director of Administrative Services and in 1999 he was the Corporate Officer for the Township of Langley. In 2003 he became the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Williams Lake. Dr. De Feo teaches courses in local government administration, services, ethics and leadership.

Dr. Greg Poelzer
Adjunct Professor
MA (Carleton), PhD (Alberta)
Email:  poelzer@unbc.ca

Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Saskatchewan and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University of the Arctic. 
Specializations:  Comparative Aboriginal-state relations; Comparative Northern Development; Aboriginal self-government; The politics and government of the Provincial Norths.