David Docherty, PhD

David Docherty, PhD, became Mount Royal University’s ninth President on Aug. 1, 2011.

An accomplished academic, author and administrator, Docherty is a recognized expert on parliamentary democracy in Canada.

Docherty obtained his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON in 1984. He obtained his Master of Arts degree in political science from McMaster University in 1990 and his PhD in political science from the University of Toronto in 1995.

A faculty member in Laurier’s Political Science Department since 1994, Docherty became Chair of the department in 2001. In 2005, he was named the Faculty of Arts Teaching Scholar at Laurier. In addition to recognizing teaching excellence, this annual award affirms the importance of teaching by honouring a faculty member who integrates both scholarly research and teaching.

In 2005, Docherty was also appointed Dean of Arts, the first Laurier alumnus to be appointed in that position. Under Docherty’s leadership, Laurier’s Faculty of Arts was awarded a NAFTA mobility grant, which is facilitating new program growth in North American Studies and building strong faculty and student ties with partner universities. He was also a lead on the Laurier and University of Waterloo team that was awarded the 2012 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Canada’s largest conference of academics.

Prior to his appointment as Mount Royal’s President, Docherty served as a Senior Advisor in Laurier’s Office of the Vice-President: Academic and Provost. Laurier awarded Docherty his Full Professorship in 2011, and he was instrumental in developing new undergraduate and graduate programs at Laurier — an institution with a strong reputation for undergraduate education.

The author of two books on Canadian politics, Docherty has also written numerous articles that have been published in leading international journals on legislative and parliamentary affairs. A frequent commentator on regional and national radio, his analyses of provincial and national politics are regularly cited in leading Canadian newspapers.

You can also learn more via:

• President Docherty's introductory video
• President Docherty's curriculum vitae

Upcoming events