Anke Kessler, a professor in Simon Fraser University’s Department of Economics, will receive the 2013 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy on Oct. 15, for her research into the robo-call allegations during the 2011 Canadian federal election.

Immediately following the ceremony at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Kessler will present a lecture entitled Does Misinformation Demobilize the Electorate? Measuring the Impact of “Robocalls” on the 2011 Canadian Federal Election.

Kessler’s 2012 discussion paper found that robo-calling, if the phenomenon did occur, could have significantly influenced voter turnout and ballot results in the last federal election.

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