From Lockdown to Leadership: Political Science PhD Graduate Noah Fry’s Path to Trade Policy

When the world was navigating the early days of lockdown, Noah Fry was logging into his first PhD class in McMaster’s Department of Political Science. While many were adjusting to a new reality, Fry was already looking ahead.

He knew that McMaster was where he wanted to complete his doctoral studies, and a global pandemic was not going to put a wrench in that plan. Fry joined the department with a clear goal: to work under Professor Stephen McBride, a leading scholar whose expertise in free trade and constitutionalism aligned perfectly with his research interests.

“There was no one better,” Fry says.

The program checked every box – an appealing program structure, strong faculty expertise and McMaster’s hallmark blend of theoretical and applied learning. Even during 18 months of online study, Fry felt connected to the community.

“Even without the physical space, I didn’t feel like a stranger at all,” he says.

Fry describes McMaster’s atmosphere as deeply collegial. “The faculty made a real effort to engage students, even during a pandemic,” he said. “They offered opportunities for collaboration, co-authorship and virtual events that shaped the experience in ways that stood apart my previous graduate studies”

A major turning point came in his second year when he received the prestigious Canadian Graduate Scholarship.

“It gave me a lot more confidence knowing my work resonated with the merit review committee,” he says.

Rethinking CUSMA

Fry’s thesis, State in Absentia? Team Canada in a Post-CUSMA North America, examined the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which replaced NAFTA. While many scholars viewed CUSMA as a continuation of NAFTA, often avoiding the term “CUSMA” altogether, Fry argued that represented a meaningful policy shift.

His research contended that free trade has fundamentally reshaped Canada’s relationship with both government and economy. “The challenges we’re seeing with the U.S. didn’t come out of nowhere,” he says. “The signs have been there.”

Conducting interviews with policymakers and negotiators, Fry discovered that many were surprised by the conflicts emerging from free trade agreements. “But the indicators were clear,” he says.

Professor McBride praised Fry’s work, noting “Noah’s cutting-edge research on the negotiations that led to NAFTA being replaced by CUSMA gives him a unique perspective on Canadian trade policy as it wrestles with U.S. ‘tariff diplomacy.’”

Building Beyond the Degree

Now in a postdoctoral position at Dalhousie University, Fry is expanding on his thesis to explore how public sector procurement dollars can deliver the greatest benefit, particularly for marginalized communities.

“The fact that I’m able to stay in academia is a testament to the opportunities I had at McMaster,” he says. “McMaster emphasizes transferring knowledge beyond academia to the broader community.”

His advice for future scholars? “Collegial connections matter. If opportunities don’t exist in your department, create them.”