Wilson College appoints acting academic director
Professor emeritus and former Economics chair Stephen Jones will lead preparations to welcome Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement's inaugural cohort of full-time undergraduate students this fall.
Professor Emeritus Stephen Jones has been appointed acting academic director of Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.
“I am honoured to take on the role of acting academic director for Wilson College. I look forward to working with the College’s staff and faculty as we prepare to welcome their first cohort of full-time undergraduate students in September,” says Jones, who was chair of McMaster’s department of Economics from 2015 to 2020.
“Our society needs young people who are able to navigate and engage with the world around them with confidence and integrity.”
“I believe Wilson College is ideally positioned to offer them a broad and enriching perspective that fosters critical thinking, empathy, and a profound understanding of diverse human experiences.”
Wilson College was founded in 2022 following a $50 million donation from McMaster chancellor emeritus L.R. “Red” Wilson.
A partnership between the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities, it is home to Canada’s only combined honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership and Civic Studies, which students will receive along with a BA in a subject in social sciences or humanities.
Wilson College also offers an undergraduate minor in Leadership and Civic Studies, a graduate-level seminar, and research residency programs for scholars and practitioners.
“Dean of Social Sciences Jerry Hurley and I are looking forward to working with Steve as Wilson College continues to redefine leadership education and research,” says Pamela Swett, dean of the Faculty of Humanities.
“He brings a deep knowledge of the McMaster community to the role, as well as a dedication to building a strong foundation for the College to grow and thrive.”
Among many other administrative roles, Jones has served as chair of the University Budget Committee and on the University Planning Committee. He also taught within the Arts and Science program for many years.
Jones came to McMaster from the University of British Columbia in 1989.
As a researcher, Jones is a specialist in labour economics and is the author of two books: The Economics of Conformism and The Persistence of Unemployment: Hysteresis in Canadian Labour Markets.
Donald Abelson, Wilson College’s former academic director and a professor in the department of Political Science, has been recommended to fill a new Faculty of Social Sciences professorship in Canada-U.S. Relations.
Jones will remain in the role through August 2025, at which point a search will begin for a permanent academic director.
