James Sheptycki has published a new book titled Conflict, Crime and Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Approach (Wiley, 2025). The book looks at how conflict and power shape crime and criminology, integrating interdisciplinary theories along with his own research and years of experience working in the field. It covers emerging concerns such as ecocide, human rights-based criminology, and the digital transformation of law enforcement, and engages with feminist, Green, Southern, anti-racist, anti-colonial, left-realist, ultra-realist and conservative theoretical perspectives in criminology. 

James Sheptycki is a professor emeritus of Criminology at 91��ɫ.��With a career spanning over three decades,��Sheptycki��has conducted pioneering research on transnational policing, organized��crime��and criminological theory. He is widely published and known for his interdisciplinary and��globally-informed��approach to criminology, particularly through ethnographic and empirical fieldwork.

Learn more about the book��on the����website.��

Professors Natasha Tusikov and Merouan Mekouar in the Department of Social Science have co-edited a special issue of Surveillance & Society, a peer-reviewed journal featuring interdisciplinary papers on surveillance, politics and policy. The journal is published by the Surveillance Studies Network Canada.  

This special��issue, titled��Resisting Surveillance Through Data Visibility and Invisibility��investigates workplace surveillance,��including��Ring doorbells, facial-recognition technologies, period-tracking apps, LGBTQ+ censorship on social media and activist interventions by Forensic Architecture.����

Tusikov’s research focuses on the intersection of law, crime, technology and regulation.She is also a research fellow with the Justice and Technoscience Lab (JusTech Lab) in the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at the Australian National University. 

Mekouar’s��research��focuses��on social��movements, authoritarianism, norm diffusion��and political economy in the Middle East and North Africa.��He��received��his��PhD in��political��science from McGill in 2013.��

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Wasi Syed Babar��
Senior Program Manager, City of Toronto & Chief Operating Officer, Muslim Youth Revival��
BA ’20,��MPPAL ’25, Interdisciplinary Social Science and Public Policy, Administration & Law��

LA&PS��alumnus, Wasi Syed Babar��was named one of 91��ɫ’s 2026��Top 30 Alumni Under 30, recognized among a distinguished group of young leaders making a meaningful impact around the world. In recognition of his achievement, we connected with��Wasi��to better understand how his experience as an Interdisciplinary Social Science and Public Policy, Administration & Law��graduate contributed to where he��is today. ��

1. How did your degrees in Interdisciplinary Social Science and Public Policy, Administration and Law help get you where you are today?��
   My undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science helped me understand complex social issues from different perspectives. It taught me how to think critically, ask better��questions��and look at problems through a broader social,��political��and organizational lens. That foundation has been��very useful��in my career, especially when working on public sector projects that��impact��residents,��staff��and communities.��
   The Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law helped me build on that foundation in a more practical way. It strengthened my understanding of governance, public administration, policy development,��accountability��and decision making in government. Today, as a Sr.PM at the City of Toronto, I��regularly work��at the intersection of technology, policy, service��delivery��and public value. Both degrees helped me develop the judgement and perspective needed to lead projects that are not just technically successful, but also meaningful for the public.��
2. What career did you dream of pursuing in��undergrad, and where did your professional path��actually take��you after graduation?��
   During��undergrad, I was interested in public service and wanted to do work that had a real impact on people’s lives. I did not have one fixed job title in mind, but I knew I wanted a career where I could help solve problems, improve��systems��and contribute to the community.��
   My path took me into project and program management, especially in the public and��non-profit��sectors. I have had the opportunity to work on major initiatives with the federal government, Médecins Sans Frontières Canada and now the City of Toronto. My��work has included digital transformation, service delivery improvements, governance, procurement, stakeholder��engagement��and leading cross functional teams. In many ways, my career ended up combining my interest in public service with technology,��strategy��and organizational change.��
3. What skills or knowledge from the Interdisciplinary Social Science and Public Policy, Administration and Law program have been most beneficial in your career?��
   The most beneficial skills have been critical thinking, policy analysis,��communication��and the ability to understand issues from multiple viewpoints. In public sector work, challenges are rarely simple. A technology project is never��just about the��technology. It is also about people, governance, risk, accessibility, privacy, service��delivery��and public trust.��
   My studies helped me become more comfortable working through ambiguity, understanding stakeholder needs and connecting day-to-day decisions to broader institutional goals. The ability to write clearly, brief senior leaders, assess��trade-offs��and think about long term public impact has been especially valuable in my career.��
4. In what ways have the network and connections you made during your studies helped you in your career?��
   The network I built at 91��ɫ has been incredibly valuable. I met classmates, professors and mentors who were passionate about public service, leadership and creating positive change. Those connections helped me learn from different career paths and gave me a stronger sense of what was possible after graduation.��
   91��ɫ also gave me access to a broader community of alumni and professionals who are doing meaningful work across government,��non-profit��organizations��and the private sector. Staying connected to that community has been helpful not only professionally, but personally as well. It reminds me that career growth is not something you do alone. It is shaped by mentorship, encouragement and the people who challenge you to keep growing.��
5. What advice do you have for first year students entering either degree?��
   My advice would be to stay curious and do not worry if your path is not perfectly clear in first year. University is a time to��explore,��ask questions and figure out what kind of impact you want to have. Take the time to build relationships with your classmates and professors, because those connections can stay with you well beyond graduation.��
   I would also encourage students to develop strong writing,��communication��and analytical skills. These skills are useful in��almost every��career, especially in public service and leadership roles. Most importantly, say yes to opportunities that stretch��you. Some of the most important parts of my career came from taking on challenges before I felt completely ready.��

Read the full article to explore all LA&PS Top 30 Under 30 alumni recipients.��

LA&PS professors honoured at this year’s President’s Research Awards��

On Wednesday, May 6, 15 members of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) were recognized for their research excellence and transformative impact across multiple categories at 91��ɫ’s President’s Research Awards. The annual awards program celebrates the creativity and outstanding research contributions of 91��ɫ’s faculty members. 

The LA&PS recipients are: 

Book Awards, Literary and Artistic Achievements 
Desiree de Jesus – Exhibition on Black Girlhood in Canada, Toronto International Film Festival 

Major Grants 
Ann Kim – Project grant, Academy of Korean Studies, Strategic Research Institute Program 

Other Learned Societies, Fellowships and Awards 
Jimmy Huang – Fellowship, The institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 
Christina Sharpe – Killam Prize, National Research Council of Canada 

Outstanding Early Career Awards 
Eric Kennedy – Ontario Early Researcher Award, Government of Ontario 

President’s Research Excellence Award (PREA) 
Jimmy Huang - President’s Research Excellence Award 

Significant Knowledge Mobilization & Impact Awards 
Pat Armstrong - King Charles III Coronation Medal 
Peter Constantinou - King Charles III Coronation Medal 
Sheila Embleton - King Charles III Coronation Medal 
Natasha Henry-Dixon - King Charles III Coronation Medal 
Akolisa Ufodike - King Charles III Coronation Medal 

President’s Research Impact Award (PRIA) 
Kerry Kawakami – President’s Research Impact Award 

YRCs and CRCs and Distinguished Research Professors 
Aimi Hamraie – Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Technology, Society and Disability 
Ian Stedman – Tier 2 91��ɫ Research Chair in Law, Policy and Personalized Healthcare 
Ola Mohammed – Tier 2 Research Chair in Black Sonic Cultures 

Explore the full list of this year’s President’s Research Award recipients from across 91��ɫ. 

On Tuesday, May 5, the Department of Social Science will host a guest lecture by philosopher and feminist theorist Clara Serra titled The Meaning of Consent.

In this talk, Serra will discuss sexual consent and how its meaning is shifting in contemporary culture. Approaching the topic from philosophical, historical and political perspectives, she will unpack the ambiguities inherent in the very idea of consent. Beneath the apparent simplicity of the consent lies the question of: what does it actually mean to consent?

Serra will explore the implications of the dominant doctrine of affirmative consent, arguing that it signals a broader desiderative shift – a re-signification of consent that moves away from its semantic proximity to will and closer to the notion of desire. This shift, she suggests, raises pressing questions about how desire is understood, articulated and regulated, and whether it can ever be expressed with complete clarity.

The 91��ɫ community is invited to attend. .��

Date: Tuesday, May 5
Time: 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Department of Social Science, Ross S701

About the guest speaker:

Serra is a philosopher and feminist theorist. She holds a PhD from the University of Barcelona, where she completed her dissertation on the concept of sexual consent in contemporary feminist theory. Her research engages with political philosophy, feminist theory and critical legal studies.

Serra is the author of several books, including The Meaning of Consent (Anagrama, 2024). She is currently a lecturer and researcher at BAU, Centre d’Estudis Universitaris d’Arts i Disseny of Barcelona and collaborates as an external researcher with the Complutense University of Madrid. Her work combines academic research with a strong engagement in public debate, and she contributes regularly to leading media outlets.

Alongside her academic work, Serra has been actively involved in institutional politics, having served as Secretary of Equality in the early years of Podemos and as a Member of the Madrid Parliament from 2015 to 2019.

A recent article in the Toronto Star covered the closure of Filmores Hotel and Gentleman’s Club, a strip club located in downtown Toronto. The club had been in business for 45 years and closed its doors on Jan. 31. The article features quotes from several of the club’s longstanding dancers who reflect positively on several aspects of the club and its management, including flexible hours, a sense of control and community, and the diversity of its employees. Also quoted was Tuulia Law, an associate professor in the Department of Social Science, sharing her academic expertise on sex work and sex industry management. Law discusses the repercussions of the club’s closure on the dancers’ lives and the community at large.

Tuulia Law holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Criminology from the University of Ottawa. She works with community partners in the sex industry to research topics like labour relations, working conditions, management and the performance of gender, class and race. Her additional research interests include intersectional gendered violence, sexual assault on campus and criminalized masculinities.

Read the full article in the .

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, 91��ɫ launched a new research cluster titled Overcoming Epidemics in Transnational Black Communities – Response, Recovery and Resilience. The cluster is made up of Black scholars from five 91��ɫ faculties who have been working to understand how structural inequalities influence the way that Black communities experience, respond to and recover from epidemics.

Sylvia Bawa, associate professor of sociology, and Jeffrey Squire, an instructor in the Department of Social Science, are co-principal investigators on the study. Their work centres the voices of Black communities by engaging directly with organizations and community members in Toronto and internationally to ensure their work is addressing real-life concerns. Their findings will now be shared in a way that encourages dialogue and helps members of the community devise practical recommendations to support one another during future epidemics.

Read the full story in YFile.

The Ontario Research Fund has awarded $1,614,137 to 91��ɫ to support the development of its research infrastructure. The funding will support 14 projects across multiple faculties and disciplines, strengthening 91��ɫ’s capacity for innovative research.

The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) is among the recipients, with two projects selected for funding. LA&PS congratulates the researchers whose work will contribute to advancing research excellence at 91��ɫ. LA&PS researchers included in the funding:

Aimi Hamraie, associate professor, Department of Social Science
Critical Lab Design: Establish a dedicated research space at 91��ɫ that centres disabled people as designers and makers of technology through research‑creation focused on disability culture and community.
$75,000

Manar Jammal, associate professor, School of Information Technology
Futuristic Infrastructures for AI Framework: Pioneering Self-Healing Cloud and Smart Cities: Establish a high‑performance AI lab to advance self‑healing cloud systems and smart city research.
$75,120

Read the full article in YFile.