Contact Information
Email: kira.williams@utoronto.ca
Phone: Please email me to receive a current phone number.
Mailing Address: Please email me to receive a current mailing address.
Employment Information
University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada. Coordinating Data Scientist for Haven, the Asylum Lab, 2023-present.
International Migration Research Centre, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Statistician, 2012-2023.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Coordinating Data Scientist for Haven, the Asylum Lab, 2021-2023.
Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Lecturer, Master's in International Public Policy, 2013-2023.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Post-Doctoral Fellow, School of International Policy and Governance, 2020-2021.
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Political Science, 2017-2019.
Statistics Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Deemed Employee [for Research Purposes]. 2016-2020.
York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. Research Assistant, Centre for Refugee Studies, 2015-2018.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, 2013-2018.
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, 2015-2016.
Centre for International Governance Innovation, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Junior Research Fellow, 2012-2013.
Education
Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Ph.D., Geography (2018).
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Master's of International Public Policy (2013).
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. Ph.D., Political Science (2011-2012) [incomplete].
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. B.A. (Honours), Economics (2011). B.A. (Honours), Political Science (2011).
Publications
Mountz, A, & Williams, K. (2025). Let Geography Die: Chasing Derwent's Ghost at Harvard. MIT Press, Cambridge.
Banos, A., Vives, L., Martel, C., Hessek, E., & Williams, K. (2024). Sauvegarde de la vie en mer VS contrôle des migrations par voies maritimes: l’émergence des frontières dans le sauvetage en mer dans la zone de responsabilité SAR espagnole. Criminologie.
Vives, L., Banos, A., Martel, C., Hessek E., & Williams, K. (2024). Maritime Sar Systems in the EU: Convergence and Co-optation into the Anti-Immigration Border. Journal of Borderlands Studies, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/08865655.2024.2356775.
Mountz, A, & Williams, K. (2023). Let Geography Die: The Rise, Fall, and “Unfinished Business” of Geography at Harvard. Annals of the American Association of Geographers. Online version available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24694452.2023.2208645.
Hennebry, J., Piper, N., KC, H., & Williams, K. (2022). Bilateral Labor Agreements as Migration Governance Tools: An Analysis from a Gender Lens. Theoretical Inquiries in Law, vol. 23(2): 184-204.
Finn, M., Williams, K, & Momani, B. (2022). Political Participation Among Canadian Arab Youth. Journal of Youth Studies. Online version available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13676261.2022.2027898.
Hennebry, J., KC, H. & Williams, K. (2021.) Gender and Migration Data: A Guide for Evidence-Based, Gender-Responsive Migration Governance. International Organization for Migration (IOM). Geneva. Online version available at https://publications.iom.int/books/gender-and-migration-data-guide-evidence-based-gender-responsive-migration-governance.
Vives, L., & Williams, K. (2021). Closing the gap: official statistics on the migration on unaccompanied migrant children across the Mediterranean. Chapter 10 in Research Handbook on the Law and Politics of Migration, Dauvergne, C. (ed.): Edward Elgar Publishing, London.
Mountz, A. & Williams, K. (2021). Derwent’s Ghost: The Haunting Silences of Geography at Harvard. Chapter 7 in A Place More Void, Kingsbury, P., and Secor, A. (eds.): University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.
Momani, B., Dreher, E. & Williams, K. (2019). More than a Pipeline Problem: Evaluating the Gender Pay Gap in Canadian Academia from 1996 to 2016. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, vol. 49(1): 1-21.
Williams, K. (2018). Arriving Somewhere, Not Here: Exploring and Mapping the Relationship between Border Enforcement and Migration by Boat in the Central Mediterranean Sea, 2006 to 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Wilfrid Laurier University. [Available on this website.]
Burroughs, E., & Williams, K (eds.). (2018). Contemporary Migration by Boat: Data, Geopolitics, and Discourses. Rowman & Littlefield International.
Williams, K. (2018). Review of and Research Proposal for Methodologies Studying Migrant Interdiction at Sea. Chapter 3 in Contemporary Boat Migration: Data, Geopolitics, and Discourses, Burroughs, E., & Williams, K. (eds.), Rowman & Littlefield International.
Williams, K., & Mountz, A. (2018). Between enforcement and precarity: externalization and migrant deaths at sea. International Migration, vol. 56(5): 74-89.
Hennebry, J., Williams, K., Celis-Parra, D & Daley, R. (2018). Trabajadores migrants en Mexico: representaciones en la prensa mexicana. In ¡Tú migrante! La construcción de las representaciones de la migración en el contexto de América del Norte y Centroamérica, Diaz, A. and Meza Torres, A. (eds.): National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Maillet, P., Mountz, A., & Williams, K. (2018). Exclusion through imperio: entanglements of law and geography in the waiting zone, excised territory and search and rescue region. Social & Legal Studies, vol. 27(2): 142-163.
Hennebry, J., Williams, K., Celis-Parra, D & Daley, R. (2017). Mis/representations of women migrant workers in the media: A critical analysis. Research Report for UN Women. Available at http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2017/7/mis-representations-of-women-migrant-workers-in-the-media.
Momani, B., Stirk, J., Klimbovskaia, A., & Williams, K. (2017). Diversity Dividend: Canada's Global Advantage. Special Report published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation. Online version available at https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/documents/DiversitySpecial %20Report%20WEB_0.pdf.
Maillet, P., Mountz, A., & Williams, K. (2016). Researching migration and enforcement in obscured places: practical, ethical, and methodological challenges to field work. Social & Cultural Geography, vol. 18(7): 927-950.
Hennebry, J., Williams, K., & Walton-Roberts, M. (2016). Women Working Worldwide: a Situational Analysis of Women Migrant Workers. Research Report for UN Women. Available at https://www.empowerwomen.org/en/resources/documents/2017/02/women-working-worldwide-a-situational-analysis-of-women-migrant-workers?lang=en.
Williams, K. (27 June 2016). Review of the book New Border and Citizenship Politics by Schwenken, H., & Russ-Sattar, S. (eds.). Journal of Borderlands Studies.
Williams, K. (2016). Methodology and identity in research on police practices: Comments on Mat Coleman's 'state power in blue'. Political Geography, 51: 92-94.
Williams, K., & Mountz, A. (2016). Remote control: analyzing the relationship between externalization and migrant deaths and boat losses. Chapter in Externalizing Migration Management: Europe, North America and the spread of ‘remote control’ practices, R. Zaiotti (ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Williams, K., Williams, G., Arbuckle, A., Walton-Roberts, M., & Hennebry, J. (October, 2015). International Students in Ontario’s Postsecondary Education System, 2000-2012: An evaluation of changing policies, populations and labour market entry processes. Research report for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO).
Williams, K. (2015). Changing State Responses in the Central Mediterranean: Search and Rescue, Interdiction, and Externalisation. Refugee Review, 2.
Hennebry, J., Grass, W., Williams G., Williams, K., Walton-Roberts, M., Chikanda, A., & Crush, J. (2014). Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements, Development and Trade: Complexity, Contradiction and Coherence. Research report for the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
Walton-Roberts, M., Guo, J., Williams, K., & Hennebry, J. (2014). Immigration Policy Changes and Entry to Practice Routes for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs). Skills Development Knowledge Synthesis Grant for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Retrieved at http://imrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SSHRC-FINAL-mar-14-2014typeset3_1.pdf.
Walton-Roberts, M., Williams, K., Guo, J., & Hennebry, J. (2014). Backgrounder on Immigration Policy Changes and Entry to Practice Routes for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Canada. International Migration Research Centre Policy Points. Retrieved at http://imrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMRC-Policy-Points-V2.pdf.
Hennebry, J., & Williams, K. (2013). Temporary Migration Policy, Trends, and the Economy in Ontario, 2000-2012. Policy brief for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade (MCI).
Hennebry, J., & Williams, K. (2013). The Economic Relationships between Temporary Foreign Workers in the Labour Force and Economic Outcomes in Ontario, 2000-2012. Report written for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade (MCI).
Ratel, M.H., Williams, G., & Williams K. (2013). Inserting migrants into the Global Social Protection Floor. CIGI Junior Fellows Policy Brief no. 11: 1-7. Retrieved at http://www.cigionline.org/publications/2013/9/inserting-migrants-into-the-global-social-protection-floor.
Hennebry, J., & Williams, K. (2013). Profile of Temporary Resident, and Transitions from Temporary to Permanent Status in Ontario. Report written for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade (MCI).
Awards
Doctoral Fellowship: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), 2016-2018.
The Carol & Russell Muncaster Bursary Award in Geography & Environmental Studies: Wilfrid Laurier University, 2016.
Ontario Graduate Policy Research Challenge Award: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, 2015.
Doctoral Fellowship: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2015-2016.
Ontario Graduate Scholarship: Government of Ontario, 2015-2016.
Alexander B. Murphy Dissertation Enhancement Award: Political Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers, 2015.
Doctoral Travel Award: Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies of Wilfrid Laurier University, 2015.
Researchers of Laurier Award: Graduate Student Association of Wilfrid Laurier University, 2015.
Plenary Lecture Discussant: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers, Chicago, IL, USA, 2015.
Research Assistantship: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada, 2013-2014.
Doctoral Fellowship: Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, CA , 2013-present.
Junior Research Fellowship: Centre for International Governance Innovation, Waterloo, ON, Canada, 2012-2013.
Doctoral Fellowship: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA, 2011-2012
Grants
Research assistant for Building Migrant Resilience in Cities/Immigration et résilience en milieu urbain. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2020-2021).
Research assistant for Building Bridges across Social and Computational Sciences: Using Big Data to Inform Humanitarian Policy and Interventions. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2015-2018).
Research assistant for The Pluralism Project: Diversity and Economic Prosperity. Trudeau Foundation (2016-2018).
Collaborator for Women Working Worldwide: a Situational Analysis of Women Migrant Workers. UN Women (2015-2017).
Research assistant for A Description of Policies and Practises Regarding International Students in Ontario's Postsecondary Education System. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (2014).
Collaborator for Bilateral Migration Agreements, Development and Trade: Complexity, Contradiction and Coherence. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (2014).
Collaborator for Immigration policy changes and entry to practice routes for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2014).
Collaborator for Temporary Migration Policy, Trends and the Economy in Ontario, 2000-2012. Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade (2013).
Collaborator for Inserting migrants into the Global Social Protection Floor. Centre for International Governance Innovation (2012).
Courses Taught
Wilfrid Laurier University
Instructor for GG369: Geographic Information Systems (Fall 2016; Fall 2019).
Co-Instructor for FIPP: Statistical Inference in Policy Science using R (August 2018; August 2019).
Lecturer for R sessions for IP602: Tools for Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation (Fall 2017; Fall 2019).
Assistant for GG254: Geographic Information and Analysis (Fall 2017).
Assistant for GGOV701: Research Methods (Winter 2017).
Co-instructor for IP602: Policy Impact Evaluation (Fall 2016).
Instructor for R Workshop for Master's of International Public Policy Program (Summer 2016).
Lecturer for STATA sessions for IP602: Tools for Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation (Fall 2013; Fall 2014).
Assistant for GG361: Spatial Analysis (Winter 2014; Winter 2015).
Assistant for ES101: Introduction to Environmental Studies (Fall 2013; Fall 2014).
Invited Presentations
GV740: Global Governance of Borders & Human Mobility, Guest Lecture, Balsillie School of International Affairs: 2022.
ES393: Environmental Migration, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2019.
GG693: Political Geographies of Violence, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2017; 2019.
GG620: Seminar in Human Geography, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2018; 2019.
CS235: Communications Research Methods, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2017
GG300e: Political Geography, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2017
Ryerson International Student Workshop, Ryerson University: 2017.
Ontario Graduate Research Policy Challenge Awards, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities: 2016.
GOV 1118: Political Geography, Guest Lecture, Harvard University: 2016.
Why Geography Matters Panel, Harvard University: 2016.
GOV 94: Undergraduate Seminar, Guest Lecture, Harvard University: 2015.
Refugee Research Network, Glendon College, York University: 2015.
CS235 Communications Research Methods, Guest Lecture, Wilfrid Laurier University: 2014.
Migration, Mobility, and Social Policy Current Issues Session, Balsillie School of International Affairs: 2014.
Workshop on Immigration Policy and Entry to Practice Routes for Internationally Educated Nurses, International Migration Research Centre: 2013.
Peer Presentations
Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies: 2023.
Association of American Geographers: 2023.
Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies: 2022.
Improving our understanding of temporary migrants in Canada: Critical reflections, challenges and strategies for data analysis [Ryerson University]: October 2020.
Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies: 2019.
Impact of diversity on Canadian firm performance and productivity [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada]: April 2019.
Ideological Conflict Project workshop [University of Waterloo]: March 2019.
International Studies Association: 2019.
American Association of Geographers: 2018.
American Association of Geographers: 2017.
Canadian Association of Geographers: 2017.
American Association of Geographers: 2016.
Political Geography Specialty Group, AAG: 2016.
Canadian Population Society: 2015.
Canadian Association of Geographers: 2015.
Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies: 2015.
American Association of Geographers: 2015.
Political Geography Specialty Group, AAG: 2015.
National Metropolis Conference, Vancouver: 2015.
Canadian Association of Geographers, Ontario Division: 2014.
Professional Service
Professional Associations
Canadian Association for Refugee and Force Migration Studies: 2014-present
American Association of Geographers: 2014-present.
Canadian Association of Geographers: 2014-present.
American Political Science Association: 2011-present.
Journal Reviews
International Migration
Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space
Geopolitics
Annals of the Association of American Geographers
Journal of Contemporary European Studies
Canadian Journal of Higher Education
International Political Sociology
Academia Letters
References
References will be made available upon request.