Former LWWRC GRA, Kaitlyn Hunter, Receives Vanier Graduate Scholarship!

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Hunter, a PhD student at the University of Waterloo and a former LWWRC GRA, on receiving a Vanier Graduate Scholarship!  

Working under the supervision of Dr. Holly Campeau in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies, Kaitlyn’s research focuses on the impact of high-profile American police violence in other geographic contexts. By looking at case studies such as the murder of George Floyd, Kaitlyn will investigate how touchstone cases of racialized police violence in America shape perceptions of and engagement with the public in Canada.  

Prior to her research at the University of Waterloo, Kaitlyn obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy and Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy at the University of Guelph. From 2021–2022, Kaitlyn also worked as a graduate research assistant with the LWWRC and on the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development (EDID-GDHI) partnership.  

At the beginning of July, Kaitlyn received the Vanier Graduate Scholarship for her impressive research proposal titled “The ‘Reach’ of Legal Cynicism: Examining the Impact of American Police Violence on Police–Community Relationships in Canada.” Her research uses a three-stage mixed-methods approach, including an analysis of crime reporting before and after Floyd’s death, as well as interviews with residents and front-line officers.  

Since her time with the LWWRC, Kaitlyn has served as a researcher on various projects, a co-author on several peer-reviewed articles, and a presenter before scholarly and practitioner audiences. In 2022, Kaitlyn submitted an equity and inclusion report to the City of Guelph, in which all of her policy recommendations were accepted. Additionally, in June 2025, Kaitlyn celebrated the publication of her first solo journal article: “Predicting police contact: Exploring the impact of legal cynicism on residents’ willingness to contact the police.” 

We at LWWRC look forward to seeing the progression of Kaitlyn’s research and celebrating her contributions to social justice and academia.