Dr. Ginette Lafrenière

Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work; Director, Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG)

Contact Information

Email: glafreniere@wlu.ca
Phone: 519-884-1970 ext.5237   |  lab 519-884-1970 ext.5232

Office Location: FSW-310

Languages Spoken

English
French
Spanish

Academic Background

 B.A. (Laurentian), M.A. (Université de Sherbrooke), M.S.S (M.S.W.) (Laurentian), Ph.D. (McGill).

Biography

Dr. Lafrenière teaches Master's and Ph.D. level courses in research methods, diversity, community and social change. She is the founding director of the Social Innovation Research Group (S.I.R.G) which is a research and training incubator comprised of a multidisciplinary group of researchers and community practitioners dedicated to  university/community collaboration. Currently S.I.R.G interfaces with over forty health and social service agencies throughout Ontario. Her current research interests focus on gaps in services for survivors of war and torture, experiences of racism within health care systems, economic integration of immigrants and refugees through the social economy and gaps in services in the area of domestic violence work. Ginette also works with video and photography mediums within arts based social development projects.

The guiding philosophy behind her work through SIRG is etched in the belief that universities should be of service to the communities in which they operate. To this end, Dr. Lafrenière has recently written a book on the merits of university-community development based on her experiences of organizing a community garage sale within the FSW which won an inclusion award by the Festival of Neighbourhoods in 2010.