uOttawa News

OTTAWA, November 13, 2015  —  The University of Ottawa is proud to announce the winners of its 2015 Excellence in Media Relations Awards in the commentary category. Thomas Juneau and Wesley Wark of the Faculty of Social Sciences received awards for their respective outstanding contributions in the media.  By sharing their expertise and commenting on topical matters, they have helped raise the University’s profile.

Thomas Juneau is an expert in foreign policy and Canadian defence issues. His research focuses on the Middle East, particularly Iran, Yemen and Syria. He has frequently and articulately shared his knowledge and reflections in both English and French-language media, addressing such sensitive and complex topics as Islamic State and the combat missions against it. His expertise on nuclear arms negotiations and the Syrian conflict has earned him extensive media coverage.  Juneau has done a great service to the University by allowing the entire community to benefit from his scholarship.

Wesley Wark is a national security, intelligence and terrorism expert. He is also co-director of a research team at the University of Ottawa engaged in a study of the impact of national security and counter-terrorism policies on Canadians since September 11, 2001.  Thanks to his expertise regarding anti-terrorism measures, he has attracted considerable media interest, leading to extensive media coverage both nationally and internationally. He conveys complex information clearly, benefitting both the University community and the general public. His invaluable contributions, insight and intelligence have enabled the University to maintain its reputation as a leader in teaching and research.

Each year, many professors share their vision, expertise and research in the media, encouraging discussion on topics in the news. The Excellence in Media Relations Awards recognize two faculty or support staff members annually (one English-speaking and one French-speaking) who make an outstanding contribution to the University by enabling the entire community to benefit from their expertise through the media. The award comes with a $5,000 prize.

The University would like to thank the journalists who sat on the 2015 selection committee for the effort they put into looking over the nominees’ files and choosing the winners. We would be pleased to do this again in the future.

Media inquiries

Néomie Duval
Manager, Media Relations
Office: 613-562-5800 ext. 3087
Cell: 613-240-0275
neomie.duval@uOttawa.ca