BU welcomes new assistant professor
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/02/2025 (295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Brandon University has welcomed Leon Laidlaw as a new assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies.
Laidlaw brings a wealth of expertise in trans studies, prison abolition, and socio-legal research, further strengthening the university’s commitment to fostering critical and inclusive scholarship, stated a university press release issued Thursday.
The release noted Laidlaw’s research focuses on trans prison reforms, anti-colonial critiques of the criminal justice system, and community-based advocacy, adding their work has received international recognition, most recently with the prestigious Feminist Legal Studies Editors’ Article Prize for 2024–25 for their article “Prison Abolition for Collective Freedom: Facilitating Co-Resistance to Binary Colonial Prisons.”
“They are currently developing their first book, “Confined in the Binary: Anti-Colonial and Abolitionist Approaches to Canada’s Trans Prison Reforms,” which is slated for release in 2027,” it read.
The faculty is thrilled to have Laidlaw join the institution, Research and Graduate Studies vice-president Bernadette Ardelli said.
“Their innovative and socially engaged scholarship not only strengthens our research community but also aligns with our commitment to justice and equity,” the vice-president said. “Dr. Laidlaw’s work challenges us to think critically about the structures we take for granted, and their presence will undoubtedly inspire students and colleagues.”
Laidlaw has been actively involved in community initiatives, including the Mama Bear Clan Patrol and Winnipeg Police Cause Harm, bringing real-world advocacy experience into their academic work, the release added. Their teaching portfolio at Brandon University includes courses such as Prison Abolition and Trans Criminology, which examine issues of incarceration, state violence, and social justice through an interdisciplinary lens.
The Faculty of Arts is proud to welcome Laidlaw, said Greg Kennedy, dean of arts.
“Their research is both timely and necessary, contributing to urgent national conversations on trans rights, the criminal justice system, and decolonization,” Kennedy said. “Dr. Laidlaw joins a dynamic team of sociologists uniquely positioned to offer a program stream of courses focused on crime and community, while our interdisciplinary justice certificate and Gender and Women’s Studies program will also benefit from his innovative research work and teaching contributions.”
Laidlaw’s appointment reflects the university’s ongoing dedication to fostering critical research that engages with pressing social issues, the university release added.
» The Brandon Sun