McMaster’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) program is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Andrea Lawlor as its new Academic Director. Lawlor, who is also an Associate Professor of Political Science, will begin her appointment on July 1, 2026.
A leading scholar on Canadian public policy, public opinion, and administrative and election law, Lawlor joined McMaster in 2023. Her work has appeared in the Canadian Journal of Political Science, Canadian Journal of Law and Society, and the Journal of Social Policy, among other venues. She holds a PhD from McGill University in Political Science (2014), as well as a second PhD from Western University’s Faculty of Law (2025). In the MPP program, Lawlor teaches Research Methods and Law & Policy, where she encourages students to confront the complex legal and regulatory challenges around new technologies and their implications for privacy and citizens’ rights.
“In a short time, McMaster’s MPP has made its mark as one of the most innovative and forward-looking public policy programs in Canada,” said Lawlor. “I look forward to working with our outstanding faculty, instructors, and students to grow the MPP and ensure our graduates continue to lead on Canada’s most challenging and dynamic policy issues, including artificial intelligence, security and digital trade.”
Lawlor takes up the post from the MPP’s founding academic director, Dr. Clifton van der Linden. Van der Linden has been appointed as the Director of McMaster’s new School of Integrated Social Sciences, which includes the MPP program. He will continue to teach in the MPP and remain active in its development. You can learn more about the new school here.
“The MPP is a program that trains leaders, and it needs a strong academic leader who embodies its spirit of entrepreneurship and willingness to challenge the status quo,” said van der Linden. “I know Dr. Lawlor will excel in her new role and continue the MPP’s trajectory of success.”
McMaster’s MPP program is the first and only public policy program to be delivered fully online, meeting students where they are so they can meet the challenges of a complex, disrupted, and transforming world. It allows students to specialize in either Digital Society or Housing Policy, gaining both crucial policy skills and deep subject matter expertise. Students in the program learn from leading faculty members and experienced policy leaders for an educational experience that is both rigorous and geared to the practical needs of professionals in government, NGOs, and the private sector.
Departmental News