“I remember him for his intellect, productivity, and kindness, not to mention his crisp and elegant writing on important public policy topics. Rhys was a truly inspiring professor who impacted the lives of his students and the broader world for the better.” – Benn Proctor

Former SFU faculty member, J. Rhys Kesselman, held the Canada Research Chair in Public Finance in the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University from 2003 until his retirement in 2017. In honour of Rhys’ work and the impact it continues to make on the lives of Canadians and the Canadian tax and transfer system, donors like you can support masters’ students in the School of Public Policy thru the Dr. J. Rhys Kesselman Memorial Scholarship.

Rhys was passionate about working on issues in public finance that affected working people, their families, and businesses, linking sound economic analysis with policy prescriptions. A highly accomplished academic, Rhys was also very much a public intellectual. He was strongly committed to communicating his ideas to governments and to his many students, making sure the public debate was as informed as possible. He always had an open door for students and loved the hallway chats with his colleagues.

Canada has lost a consummate scholar and public policy giant. He will be deeply missed by his wife and partner, Kathleen Maiman, his sister and brother-in-law Penny and David Medley, and his colleagues and students who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

In honour of Rhys’ kind and generous nature, the scholarship will be awarded to a Masters’ student in the School of Public Policy at SFU; In excellent academic standing (3.0 CGPA or higher); With the completion of an essay outlining the student’s intention to pursue a career in public policy. The scholarship will be adjudicated by the Director of the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University.