Barry Kay Lecture Series
About Barry Kay
Dr. Barry Kay was a respected scholar and media commentator on politics at both the federal and provincial levels in Canada and in the United States. After receiving a PhD from the University of Rochester, he went on to author or co-author more than 40 academic articles and book chapters. In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Kay wrote hundreds of newspaper opinion articles and was frequently interviewed by journalists across Canada and the U.S. Among his many activities, he was an active member of the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy (LISPOP) and developed a widely consulted seat-projection model based on electoral data and polls.
Read more about Dr. Kay's legacy in these pieces from Laurier's own Campus Magazine and one of Canada's national newspapers, the Globe and Mail.
The Lectures
Friday, November 11, 2022 from 2:30-4:30 pm
Join us for a panel discussion organized by Barry's colleagues in the Department of Political Science, featuring American and Canadian experts.
The outcome of the 2022 US midterm elections will have important implications - not only for how the US is governed for the next two years but also in terms of the positioning of potential contenders for the presidency in 2024. This panel will discuss what happened and why, as well as what the Midterm outcomes might mean for the 2024 presidential elections.
Panelists:
Oct. 21, 2021.
This year's Barry Kay Lecture was organized in conjunction with the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy (LISPOP), of which Barry was a founding member.
Moderator – Simon Kiss, Director of LISPOP
Our distinguished panelists include Dr. Darrell Bricker (CEO at Ipsos Public Affairs), Dr. Andrea Perrella (Associate Professor of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University) and Abigail Bimman (Global National’s Ottawa correspondent). Join us for an in-depth look at why and how the 2021 election campaign unfolded as it did and what the near-term future might look like.
Nov. 13, 2020
Moderator – Kristin Mead, 4th year Political Science Honours Student, Laurier
Just days after the U.S. election, join our experts to explore the results from a cross-border perspective. What will this outcome mean for relations between Congress and the White House, for federal-state relations and for the deep, partisan fissures that divide Americans? We’ll also explore what the election might mean for Canadian policy priorities in the coming years. An event not to be missed!
For more information about the event, see Laurier’s Barry Kay Memorial Lecture will explore the results of the U.S. presidential election.
Donations
Barry wanted his legacy to reach his students by acknowledging their achievements, so three scholarships were established to recognize exceptional students in Political Science: the Lillian and Harry Kay Memorial Scholarship, named for Barry's parents who instilled in him the value of education; the Sherry Palmer Scholarship, Political Science administrative assistant for 30 years, who Kay considered the “heart and soul” of the department; and the Barry Kay Scholarship established to honour Barry's love of teaching and high regard for his students. To contribute to one of these scholarships, please visit the memorial donation site.