Research Associates
Research Associates are typically faculty members from Wilfrid Laurier University who are interested in participating in IMRC events and research initiatives. IMRC Research Associates may: utilize the IMRC’s research space, conference/meeting area, and visiting scholar offices; participate free of charge in centre events; contribute papers to the online working paper series and other IMRC publications; administer grants or contracts through the IMRC; draw on IMRC research assistants and administrative support when available for research or events hosted by the IMRC; be eligible to apply for financial support or research assistantships when available; advertise events and circulate information through the IMRC website; be sent regular updates on centre events and research, internal and external funding opportunities, conference announcements, calls for papers, and new publication releases related to international migration; participate in yearly workshops and sessions organized by the IMRC at WLU, at National and International Metropolis Conferences, and other venues; utilize the IMRC reference library, migration research and teaching resources (e.g. the IOM/FOCAL Online Migration Mapping Project, and journal subscriptions); help initiate new proposals and research perspectives and help to develop the ongoing network collaborations between academic and community members. IMRC Associates may be considered for positions on the executive committee, or for the positions of Director and Associate Director. Research Associates must have a demonstrated research interest related to international migration.
Director
Dr. Jenna L. Hennebry
Associate Professor, Communications Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
Associate Director, International Migration Research Centre
Academic Interests: Comparative studies of migration policy and foreign worker programs, migrant worker rights and health, the formation of migration industries, remittances, ICTs and development, transnationalism, mobility and globalization, global culture, and racialization.
Contact Info: jhennebry@wlu.ca
Associate Director
Dr. Margaret Walton-Roberts
Associate Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies
Director, International Migration Research Centre
Wilfrid Laurier University
Research Areas: Gender, Indian migration, immigrant settlement in mid-sized Canadian cities, and the impact of transnational networks in both source and destination locales.
Contact Info: mwaltonroberts@wlu.ca
Senior Research Associates
Dr. Jonathan Crush
CIGI Chair in Migration and Development
Balsillie School of International Affairs
Academic Interests: As international momentum has built for research and policies that connect migration with development, Jonathan has become a major contributor to international debates on the need for development-friendly governance of migrant movements. He has consulted on issues for a number of government departments and organization, including the G77 plus China; the Association of African, Caribbean and Pacific States; the OECD; the ILO; the Global Commission on International Migration; the World Bank; the UNDP and UNESCO. Jonathan also leads the CIDA-funded African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN), where he is working on promoting knowledge about food security issues through training, research, advocacy and community engagement. His current research focuses on South-South migration, diaspora engagement policy and the nexus between migration and food security.
Contact Info: jcrush@balsillieschool.ca
Dr. Rhoda Howard-Hassmann
Professor, Department of Global Studies and FRSC; Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights
Wilfrid Laurier University and Balsillie School of International Affairs
Academic interests: International Human Rights, Economic Human Rights, Comparative genocide studies;
Sociology and politics of human rights; Women's international human rights; Gay and Lesbian rights; Human rights and retrospective justice; Human rights and globalization
Contact Info: hassmann@wlu.ca
Dr. Alison Mountz
Associate Professor Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and Canada Research Chair in Global Migration
Wilfrid Laurier University and Balsillie School of International Affairs
Academic Interests: Dr. Mountz's work explores the tension between the decisions and desires that drive human migration and the policies and practices designed to manage immigration. Her current research examines struggles over border enforcement, asylum, and detention. Her research has been funded by the John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation, the Canadian Embassy, the National Science Foundation, and the Metropolis Project.
Contact: amountz@wlu.ca
Research Associates
Dr. Chris Anderson
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic Interests: Canadian citizenship, immigration, and refugee policies, comparative liberal-democratic state border control, and the politics and practices of organized interests in Canada. Other areas of interest include Canadian foreign policy and, more specifically, Canadian international development assistance.
Contact Info: canderson@wlu.ca
Dr. Judy Bates
Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic Interests: Local labour markets, changing work arrangements, gender, paid and unpaid work, quality of life.
Contact Info: jbates@wlu.ca
Sethi Bharati
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Social Work
Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic Interests: immigrant women and mental health, social justice
Contact Info: bsethi@wlu.ca
Dr. Alfred Hecht
Professor Emeritus and Associate Director Viessmann European Research Centre
Academic Interests: Covers the broad areas of Regional Development, Urban, and Economics mainly in Canada, Europe, Russia and Paraguay. A second interest deals with ethnic and religious groups in Canada and with virtual geographic education perspectives in Canadian and German.
Contact Info: ahecht@wlu.ca
Dr. Madelaine Hron
Assistant Professor, English Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic Interests: Human Rights; Postcolonial & Globalization Theory; Postcolonial Literature (esp. Rwanda, Nigeria, West Africa, North Africa/Maghreb, Caribbean); Immigration & Cross Cultural Encounters; Affect, Trauma, Violence & Healing; Francophone Lit.; Czech Lit.; Translation; Cultural, Media & Gender Studies.
Languages Spoken: Czech, English, French
Contact Info: mhron@wlu.ca
Dr. Sandy Irvine
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Wilfrid Laurier University
Interests: International relations theory; social constructivist IR; internationalization of public policy; international migration;border control and security; and, Canadian immigration and refugee policy.
Current research explores the effects of international socialisation through global government networks on domestic paradigm change in Canadian migration policy over the course of the 1990s
Contact Info: sirvine@wlu.ca
Dr. Ginette Lafreničre
Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work
Director, Social Innovation Research Group
Wilfrid Laurier University
Reseach Interests: 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 intergenerational activism amongst undergraduate university students.
Contact Info: glafreniere@wlu.ca
Dr. Lucy Luccisano
Associate Professor, Sociology and North American Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic interests: Globalization, international political economy, gender and development inequality, poverty and social policy with a specialization in Mexico.
Contact Info: lluccisano@wlu.ca
Dr. Douglas J. McCready
Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics
Wilfrid Laurier University
Interests: Health Economics, Demographics (including and emphasizing Migration). Relevant Geographical Areas: North America, Africa, Asia,Philippines, Kenya and Rwanda.
Contact Info: dmccready@wlu.ca
Dr. Janet McLaughlin
Assistant Professor, Health Studies, Laurier - Brantford
Research Associate, International Migration Research Centre
Wilfrid Laurier University
Interests: Temporary labour migration, health and
human rights, workers' compensation, food systems.
Specific countries of focus: Canada, Mexico, Jamaica
Contact Info: jmclaughlin@wlu.ca
Dr. Kim Rygiel
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Wilfrid Laurier University
Academic interests: International relations, globalization and global governance; citizenship and migration; security studies and gender and international relations. Current research includes migrant activism in response to the securitization of mobility and border controls and comparative policy, particularly within North America and Europe, around travel regulations, security technologies and asylum and detention policies.
Contact Info:krygiel@wlu.ca
Dr. Carol Stalker
Professor, Associate Dean PhD Program, Faculty of Social Work
Interests: Her research interests include improving the effectiveness of mental health counselling and interprofessional practice in primary health care, effective interventions with adult survivors of child abuse, promoting sensitive practice by health professionals when they work with survivors of child abuse and improving social work practice with refugees and immigrants.
Contact Info: cstalker@wlu.ca
Dr. Eli Teram
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work
Wilfrid Laurier University
Interests: Organizational, interprofessional and interorganizational contexts of social work practice.
Contact Info: eteram@wlu.ca
Dr. Stacey Wilson-Forsberg
Assistant Professor, Human Rights and Human Diversity
Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford
Research Areas: Immigrant integration, especially in small communities; context of reception (i.e. welcoming communities); immigration policy; civic engagement of immigrants and receiving community; involvement of immigrants in community development initiatives; transnationalism.
Contact Info: swilsonforsberg@wlu.ca
Dr. Jasmin Zine
Associate Professor, Sociology
Director of Cultural Analysis and Social Theory (CAST) M.A. Program Wilfrid Laurier University
Research Areas: Critical race and ethnic studies, postcolonial theory and research methodologies, education and social justice, representation, Canadian Muslim studies, Muslim women's studies.
Contact Info: jzine@wlu.ca
