Churchill grew up between urban Montréal and rural Pictou County. He received his MA and PhD from Queen's University under the supervision of Professor Harold Mah. His most recent article, "The Unlikely Barrèsian Inheritance of Albert Camus," received the Malcolm Bowie Prize for best article by an early-career researcher from the Society for French Studies. He also recently won the Joseph Kruson Distinguished Award for Excellence in Teaching at Alfred University.