Though not mentioned in the complete notice below, Richard Matland contributed a great deal to the study of Canadian politics. Speaking just for myself, Richard’s work (co-authored with Donley Studlar) kickstarted my own research program in two important articles. “Gender and the electoral opportunity structure in the Canadian provinces” PRQ 1998 and “The growth of women’s representation in the Canadian House of Commons and the election of 1984: a reappraisal, CJPS 1994. He left us too soon. Louise Carbert, past-president of CPS
The Loyola University Chicago community mourns the death of Richard E. Matland, PhD, professor in the Department of Political Science. Rick passed away on Sunday, August 12.
In 2006, Rick joined the political science faculty as the Helen Houlahan Rigali Chaired Professor, teaching both undergraduate– and graduate–level courses focused on political trust and behavior, the role of women in politics, and research design and methodology.
Rick’s research and teaching spanned several fields within the discipline of political science, including comparative politics, public policy, women’s studies, and American politics.
His research was published in a variety of scholarly journals including the American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Political Psychology, and Social Science Quarterly. He was the author of numerous book chapters, as well as the co-editor of the book, Women’s Access to Political Power in Post-Communist Europe, published in 2003 by Oxford University Press. He was also the recipient of numerous external grants, most notably from the National Science Foundation.
An active contributor to Loyola’s graduate program in political science, Rick also chaired the department’s grants committee. Colleagues describe him as an inspiration who challenged others to think outside the box, especially in the science of politics.
Professor Olga Avdeyeva, PhD, said of her colleague, “Richard Matland was a caring mentor, a cherished friend, and a dear colleague. His irrepressible curiosity and natural wittiness inspired many students and colleagues in the field. He was courageous, funny, and smart. I will miss him dearly.”