Kristen Conroy – 2026 Grant Halle Lambda Award Recipient, Laurentian University
Kristen Conroy (she/her) is a PhD student in Human Studies and Interdisciplinarity at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, and the recipient of the Grant Halle Lambda Award.
Employed in the field of Social Work, Kristen has used her knowledge to advocate for appropriate procedures and services for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Her PhD research extends that commitment through formal academic inquiry, dedicated to improving the experiences, opportunities, and integration of trans and sex/gender diverse people in her community and beyond.
Research That Matters
Kristen’s research proposes to examine recommendations from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for inclusion, alongside recommendations from sport governing bodies and statements from athletics organizations regarding the participation of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The research will explore the operationalization of those recommendations at the community level.
The anticipated results will indicate how well — and the reasons for — community-level sport and athletics organizations both incorporating and deviating from recommendations for inclusion from grassroots advocates and governing bodies. This information will provide guidance on the needs of community-level organizations for improving access and inclusion for 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
The study emerged from Kristen’s direct experience of witnessing the exclusion of trans individuals from community organizations, particularly in sport and physical activity.
A Career Grounded in Advocacy
Kristen’s interest in 2SLGBTQIA+ rights began in the late 1990s during her BA Honours in Psychology at Laurentian University, and continued through her Master of Social Work — also at Laurentian. Throughout her career in Social Work, she has drawn on that knowledge to advocate for appropriate procedures and services for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Kristen came to the Grant Halle Lambda Award through her thesis advisor.
A Step Closer to Fruition
For Kristen, receiving the Grant Halle Lambda Award affirms that research toward greater inclusion of trans and sex/gender diverse people in sport and community life is work worth investing in, and brings her research goals another step closer to fruition.
About the Grant Halle Lambda Award, Laurentian University
The Grant Halle Lambda Award recognizes excellence in graduate and undergraduate research or applied projects in English and French, in any academic or professional field that engenders greater knowledge of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and populations in all their diversities — especially in, but not limited to, northern Canada. The award is open to all qualifying students on the recommendation of their academic or professional programs. Value is variable.
P.S. Every story like Kristen’s is made possible by a community that believes in the power of 2SLGBTQIA+ research and inclusion. By donating today, you help ensure that the next generation of researchers has the resources to do work that changes lives on the ground.
Your support provides the foundation for 2SLGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC students like Kristen to pursue research that transforms how our communities show up for one another.
