School of Law and Social Justice Visiting Fellows 2022-23
Professor Elizabeth Stanley
11 September - 22 September 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Professor Gabe Mythen, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology.
Professor Elizabeth Stanley is a Professor of Criminology at the Victoria University of Wellington. Elizabeth works in the areas of state crime, human rights, incarceration, and justice.
"I had a wonderful visit to Liverpool. The Criminology and admin staff are extremely hospitable, and I enjoyed social events with many welcoming academics. The research being undertaken here is world-class, and there are plenty of opportunities for thoughtful discussions. While there, I was able to present my own research and to lead a workshop with postgraduate students working on terrific projects. I also had a calm and quiet space to get on with some writing. All in all, it was everything I could want. Thanks, team!"
Dr Stephanie DiPietro
25 July - 8 August 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Dr Ross McGarry, .
Dr Stephanie DiPietro is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Iowa. Her research and teaching interests center on life course criminology, criminal desistance, and patterns of adaptation (and maladaptation) among immigrant and refugee groups, with a particular focus on violence and delinquency.
Recently, Dr DiPietro has been engaged in an ethnographic study of Bosnian refugees and nationals who experienced the Bosnian war and genocide (1992-1995) in early childhood. The focus of this cross-national study is on sources of risk and resilience in behavioral trajectories over the life course among youth exposed to war, with a particular emphasis on the cognitive framing of traumatic events and changing family and community dynamics in the wake of social crises.
Dr Georgina Dimopoulos
17 June - 2 July 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Professor Helen Stalford, Liverpool Law School
Georgina Dimopoulos is a Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University, Australia, in the Faculty of Business, Law, and Arts.
"My time as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool School of Law and Social Justice was inspiring. I had the opportunity to attend and be involved in various events showcasing the diverse children’s rights research being undertaken at Liverpool Law School. Some highlights were the opportunity to present my research-in-progress at a ‘mini-conference’ of the European Children’s Rights Unit, on how Australian family court judges can communicate their decisions more effectively to children; as well as meeting young unaccompanied asylum seekers involved in the LOHST Project, who shared their experiences of the impacts of COVID-19 delays. I learned about the fantastic work of the Young People’s Advisory Group at a ‘showcase’ of their various projects. It was heartening to hear from the young people themselves just how impactful and transformative their meaningful participation has been.
This being my first visit to the UK, I felt at home in Liverpool. It is a wonderfully vibrant city that reminded me very much of my home town, Melbourne: from the trendy cafes, restaurants and cultural attractions, to the warmth and cultural diversity of the locals – plus the unpredictable weather!
To have the opportunity to be mentored by and collaborate with Professor Helen Stalford, one of the UK’s leading children’s rights researchers, is something that I had not anticipated at this early stage of my academic career. I have returned to Australia with even greater enthusiasm to co-research with children and young people, to improve their experiences of participation in the family law and family violence contexts."
Keely Maelynn Fox
10 June - 17 June 2023, University of Georgia - University of Liverpool Doctoral Student Researcher Fellowship Programme.
Hosted by Professor Susan Pickard,
Keely Maelynn Fox is a Honorary Research Fellow, University of Georgia.
"In June 2023, I arrived in an oddly warm Liverpool. Although my visit was short, I had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with my sponsor, Professor Susan Pickard. We discussed the importance of considering how the double standard of ageing and menopause may shape the sexual lives of women who are in their mid to late life in the U.K. and the U.S.
Susan was an excited and generous host. Throughout the whole process leading up to the trip, she reached out to make sure that I had everything that I needed or if I had questions about my upcoming trip to the city.
Susan organized a seminar for me to present the beginning stages of this research which allowed me to get thoughtful feedback from other colleagues. She also introduced me to Dr Elham Amini over lunch, who provided insightful advice on theoretical frameworks I should consider as I move forward with this research. She was a wealth of knowledge and I look forward to keeping in touch with her. Susan also introduced me to Nadine Shanahan, a postgraduate researcher who has similar research interests that we discussed over coffee and dinner. Nadine also gave me a tour of the beautiful campus and we shared our teaching and research experiences.
I am so appreciative of the hospitality that I experienced during all stages of my visit. I am looking forward to returning to Liverpool to share the findings from this research and pursuing future connections with the School of Law and Social Justice."
Iuliia Avgustis
30 May - 13 June 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Dr Phil Brooker, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology.
Iuliia Avgustis is a Doctoral Researcher in Information Processing Science (Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering), University of Oulu. Iuliia is currently working a project “Smart Communication: The situated practices of mobile technology and lifelong digital literacies”. The focus of her research is on the social aspect of collocated and collaborative technology (particularly, smartphones) use among “digital natives”, i.e. young people who have been using technology since childhood.
Professor Araceli Turmo
13 March - 4 May 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Prof Valsamis Mitsilegas, School of Law and Social Justice.
Araceli Turmo is an Associate Professor in EU Law at the University of Nantes. Her research interests cover EU law, justice and procedural law, citizenship rights, and EU criminal law.
Dr Thannapat Jarernpanit
1 March - 30 April 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Prof Nicola Barker, Liverpool Law School.
Thannapat Jarernpanit is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Local Development at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Thailand.
"I recently had the opportunity to visit the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool for two months. It was my first time visiting the UK and Liverpool, and I had a wonderful experience. The colleagues at the School of Law and Social Justice gave me a warm welcome. I was honored to join the Feminist Legal Research and Action Network (FRAN) within the School, and I was also thrilled to learn about the research clusters in the School, including the Health Law and Regulation Unit (HLRU) and the European Children’s Rights Unit (ECRU). The exchange of perspectives spanning across the fields of political science and law was a very interesting and challenging experience.
I am grateful to Professor Nicola Barker for her support and valuable research suggestions, including inviting me to join the FRAN research cluster. Despite only meeting her for the first time during this trip, she always encouraged me with academic support. With her guidance, I was able to apply the concept of reproductive justice in law to my research which focussed on transgender men in Thailand. Additionally, I plan to write an academic article comparing legal gender recognition in Thailand with other countries.
During my visit, I had a productive environment for my research publications. I submitted my research article titled "I AM A MAN": Desires for Gender Rights and Legal Justice of Thai Transgender Men" to an academic journal. I also participated in a public seminar with the School of Law and Social Justice, which was attended by Dr Sacha Waxman and Chumaporn Taengkliang from the Feminist Liberation of Thailand. The seminar was a fantastic showcase of academic cooperation between international academics and Thai feminist activists.
Furthermore, I had the opportunity to meet and converse with Dr Sarah Singh, FRAN's Director at the School of Law and Social Justice; Dr Edmund Horowicz, FRAN member; and , who has experience working with NGOs and human rights in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I am also grateful to the SLSJ Research and Impact Team for their assistance and support during my stay in Liverpool.
Lastly, I would like to express my thanks to the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Local Development, the Director of the Research and Development Institute, and University Administrators at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Thailand, for their support and providing me with a scholarship to visit the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool."
Dr Özge Variş
6 February - 3 April 2023, Funded track.
Hosted by Prof Mavluda Sattorova, .
Özge Variş is an Assistant Professor of Private International Law at Kirklareli University in the Faculty of Law.
"It was a pleasure to be part of the University of Liverpool, School of Law and Social Justice (SLSJ) fellowship programme as a funded visiting fellow. I applied for the programme because of the prominent research teams in my expertise, international investment law and energy law, respectively, Professor Mavluda Sattorova.
I expanded my research, not only with their fantastic library resources, but also with my network. I met researchers from other legal fields and other disciplines, and had stimulating discussions during breaks, and attended seminars from different fields.
I was impressed with the lively academic environment. During my visit I completed one funding application, one blog post, and one article. I was encouraged and led to share my research with other universities in the UK and other European countries.
Last but not least, I am grateful for making me feel safe with the whole SLSJ team after the devastating earthquake in my country.
As a result, despite the chaotic period as every Turkish citizen, I found a safe haven to achieve my research agenda. In that regard, I can highly recommend this programme to every ambitious researcher.”
Dr Max Steuer
16 January - 12 February 2023, Self-funded track.
Hosted by Dr James Organ, Liverpool Law School.
- Visit Dr Max Steuer's staff profiles at Jindal Global Law School and Comenius University in Bratislava
"I have received a warm welcome at the School of Law and Social Justice and found my stay to be a productive and enjoyable experience. Despite its rather short duration, I had the opportunity to discuss my work at one of the Law School’s staff seminars, which provided insightful comments. I would like to thank, in particular, the staff sponsor of my visit, Dr James Organ, who has incentivized me to pursue my project on conceptions of values in institutions of deliberative democracy beyond the ambitions I originally had for it. I would also like to thank Dr Antal Berkes, with whom I had the privilege to collaborate several years ago. He provided most valuable advice on many fronts, and invited me to attend several of his excellent and thought-provoking classes on International Dispute Resolution. Dr Anne Neylon coordinated the arrangement of my staff seminar, and kindly served as its Chair, offering useful feedback on my research from the perspective of her research agenda. Professor Michael Gordon, , and PhD fellow Juan Collado Perez-Llantada provided helpful insights at the seminar, alongside Dr Organ and Dr Berkes. The opportunity to meet and engage in conversations with Professor Gordon, Professor Erika Harris (Department of Politics), Dr Sujitha Subramanian, Dr Adam Tucker, and several other staff members as well as other SLSJ visitors has been particularly valuable, and I look forward to retaining the contact with them all.
It was furthermore a privilege to hear about the interest in developing collaborations between the SLSJ and the Jindal Global Law School, among other institutions. The initiatives of the Dean, Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas, and the Head of Internationalisation, Professor Debra Morris, in this regard have been excellent to learn about. I am grateful for their time and insights and wish them success in these efforts.
The School of Law and Social Justice offers an outstanding research environment, not least thanks to its openness towards interdisciplinarity given the combination of two Departments, and the teaching practice connecting law to other disciplines. I appreciated the access to a wide range of printed and electronic scholarly sources through the University Library. The library staff has helpfully provided me access to several additional sources I had requested, which is of substantial help for my further research. During the research stay, I also published ‘Searching for a Government’ on Verfassungsblog. The SLSJ Research and Impact Team was also available to assist and ensured a smooth stay in Liverpool for me.
Last but not least, I wish to express my thanks to the Jan Hus Educational Foundation, who provided me with a scholarship for the stay at the School of Law and Social Justice."
Dr Yorick Smaal
6 - 29 January 2023, Funded track.
Hosted by Prof Barry Godfrey, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology.
- Visit Dr Yorick Smaal's staff profile at the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research.
"In early 2023, I visited a very cold Liverpool. Across a frosty three weeks, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my host and sponsor, Professor Barry Godfrey on histories of corporal punishment and young males. Using a comparative set of lower court records, we are investigating when and why matters came to courts, points of law, court room narratives and outcomes. We hope our comparative journal article coming out of that research also has something important to say on the value of comparative histories by tracing the similarities and exceptionalism in common law jurisdictions.
Barry was a generous and thoughtful host. He took me on a delightful walking tour of Liverpool early on, and we enjoyed caught up frequently, crowned with a delightful afternoon tea at Nantwich on Holy Holly Day, followed by a home cooked meal. I also spent an afternoon in Chester with Barry, his partner, Jane, and Professor Heather Shore (Manchester Metropolitan). Along with a tour of the Cathedral, afternoon tea and city walk, I spoke with Heather about our mutual interests in histories of crime, gender, and institutions. We have continued those conversations online since my return to Australia.
Barry also introduced me to other colleagues, including Dr David Baker, , and Dr Phillip Brooker. Phillip and I had a wonderful discussion on methods and digital humanities. I am currently reading Phillip’s terrific book on programming for social scientists, which kindly gave me before I departed. Other highlights during my visit included catching up with Dr Ross McGarry over bagels (who knew!) to discuss military sociology and warrior cultures, learning more about ’s work on children and education over drinks with , and sharing a room with fellow international visitor, Dr Max Steuer. Max and I shared coffee and ideas and discussed broad questions of democracy, justice, and their significance for inclusive citizenship. We continue to stay in touch.
Unfortunately, illness and timing meant I was unable to present my paper as planned, though I am looking forward to delivering it online later this year, along with a graduate workshop on the Prosecution Project, which is digitising criminal trials in the Australian superior courts form the end of the convict era to the 1960s. I look forward to meeting other Liverpool colleagues, research candidates and forging new connections then."
Dr Aileen Kennedy
5 October - 30 November 2022, Funded track.
Hosted by Prof Marie Fox, Liverpool Law School.
"I was fortunate to be offered a fellowship at SLSJ in 2022. I was attracted to Liverpool University because of the calibre of the academic research conducted at the school as evidenced by the active and busy research clusters around health law, children’s law and feminist law (among others). My research interests fit within these clusters, and I was warmly included in the activities of all three. The research culture at the school is excellent, and I was able to attend a number of seminars, workshops and meetings during my two months at Liverpool. I delivered seminar papers at two separate events, and was given robust and helpful feedback in response. I was able to connect with researchers in the school and spend time both in meetings and informal discussions over coffee or meals. The academic staff were supportive, engaging and inclusive. The professional staff were helpful and friendly, making this a fantastically constructive and exciting time for me.
I delivered a seminar to a post-graduate cohort and attended two of their weekly classes, giving me insight into the high academic standards of the students and teaching staff. I also attended a number of seminars given by HDR students on an interesting range of topics. Again, I was impressed by the high standard of the work. These seminars were organised by the HDR student body, attesting to the excellent research training provided to HDR students.
I strongly recommend the experience to other academics who are interested in spending time in a vibrant and active research culture within a beautiful, historic and accessible city."
Dr Aileen Kennedy, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University of New England
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