CMS is excited to welcome two new visiting scholars, Dr. Julie Ham and PhD Candidate Afshan Paarlberg, for the 2024-25 academic year. Both bring unique expertise and fresh perspectives on migration studies to our community; learn more about them!
Dr. Julie Ham, Associate Professor, Sociology and Critical Criminology at Brock University
Visiting scholar from September to November 2024
Julie Ham’s research is grounded in academic-community collaborations that speak to priorities identified by migrant and minority communities, such as the dehumanization of domestic workers, harms produced by the anti-trafficking industry, the impact of social difference in sex work, the trajectory of migrant remittances, knowledge production and cultural production by migrants through participatory and visual methodologies. Her research on migration, labour, social difference and the criminology of mobility has been published in The British Journal of Criminology; Critical Social Policy; Culture, Health & Sexuality; Gender, Work & Organization; International Journal of Qualitative Methods; Sociology; Theoretical Criminology; and Work, Employment and Society.
During her time at CMS, Dr. Ham will be doing preliminary ethnographic work on immigration detention, with a focus on the British Columbia Immigration Holding Centre in Surrey. She also plans to strengthen her connections with migrant rights organizations and crimmigration scholars in preparation for a SSHRC Insight Grant application.
For more information about her research, visit Mobile Methodologies and Migrant Knowledges.
Afshan Paarlberg, Assistant Research Scholar with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Visiting scholar from September 2024 to May 2025
Afshan Paarlberg is an interdisciplinary researcher and lawyer who engages in policy-driven work on philanthropy, migrants, law, and society. She has been awarded a 2024-2025 Fulbright Canada Student Research Award from Indiana University to the University of British Columbia to compare Canadian and U.S. nonprofit responses to asylum seekers. She recently completed a Global Philanthropy Fellowship and serves as Project Director of the Global Philanthropy Environment Index, overseeing the mapping of philanthropy in over 90 countries and economies. She also provides general counsel at Saeed and Little, advising nonprofits on compliance, cross-border operations, and advocacy.
She previously helped incubate a nonprofit governance-risk-compliance project at Indiana University and served as immigration counsel to people seeking legal status in the United States. A Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, her dissertation explores the role of nonprofits in improving legal access for asylum seekers across legal deserts. Afshan has published in Nonprofit Policy Forum and VOLUNTAS and has presented at conferences worldwide. She serves on several nonprofit boards and is committed to social justice and access to justice efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, hiking, and family time.
While at CMS, she will work with faculty host, Dr. Catherine Dauvergne, Ms. Stephensen, the MOSAIC BC nonprofit, CMS institutional partners, and research colleagues to identify and recruit participants. She will conduct participant observation and interviews, analyze data, and share findings through public lectures, community events, and a public summary for U.S. stakeholders.
We look forward to the valuable contributions they will make during their time with us. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with their work!
