Wendy Aujla, PhD, MA, BA

Dr. Aujla's research program focuses on gender-based violence, including domestic/family violence, "honour"-based crimes, and forced marriage, with an emphasis on South Asian populations, immigrant women, service providers, and law enforcement. It spans three interconnected areas: 1) (re)victimization; 2) help-seeking strategies and resilience; 3) interventions and service provision across sectors, such as social services, immigration, and the criminal legal system. A second major component of her research focuses on experiential learning, including critical conversations in community service-learning, criminology field placement, and work-integrated learning opportunities. Dr. Aujla draws on critical race feminist theory and intersectionality, with methodological expertise in qualitative methods and community-based research. She has led projects using various qualitative methodologies, including grounded (constructivist) theory and vignette-based approaches with interviews and surveys. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Aujla's current research program, are interested in getting involved, or are looking for research experience, please email her at [email protected]

Dr. Wendy Aujla (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice at Athabasca University. As an applied sociologist and community-based researcher, she collaborates with community partners to create meaningful social change. She specializes in community-engaged pedagogies and work-integrated learning that enhance student experiences. She has contributed to national and international research exploring mothering in the context of family violence, intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and service providers' experiences supporting trans and immigrant women impacted by intimate partner violence. Her work is published in Crime and Delinquency, Critical Criminology, Journal of Family Violence, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, and Victims and Offenders. Most recently, she co-authored a chapter in the co-edited Routledge International Handbook of Femicide and Feminicide. She also uses creative knowledge mobilization strategies to share research findings. She proudly serves on the expert advisory panel for the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability and the Immigrant Family Violence Prevention Committee.