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I am a gay/queer, cisgender man and white settler living and working on the Haldimand Tract, which is the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. I am originally from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador—a place I will always call home—I acknowledge that this region is the ancestral homeland of many Indigenous communities, including the Beothuk, whose culture has been lost; the Mi'kmaq; the Innu of Nitassinan; the Inuit of Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut.
After working as a front-line social worker, administrator, and consultant in the non-profit, public and private sectors, I completed my PhD in social work at the University Toronto in 2006. I earned my BSW in 1993 and my MSW in Social Policy and Administration in 1997, both from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Before joining Laurier in 2014, I was a faculty member in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Within Laurier's Faculty of Social Work, I had the priviledge of serving as the Associate Dean of the PhD Program from 2020 until 2024 and held the position of Interim Dean in July and August of 2021.
My research focuses on the inclusion, exclusion, wellbeing, and resilience of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other gender and sexually diverse (2SLGBTQ+) individuals and communities. I specialize in studying 2SLGBTQ+ microaggressions—such as overhearing the phrase “that’s so gay” or a transwoman being told she's “not a real woman”—and their impact on the mental health and academic success of 2SLGBTQ+ students. A significant portion of my work explores how campus climate—students’ experiences, perceptions, and campus policies and resources—affects 2SLGBTQ+ students’ wellbeing and academics. Central to this research is examining how intersecting identities, for instance race and disability, shape 2SLGBTQ+ students’ experiences and outcomes. Additionally, I identify multi-level factors—such as 2SLGBTQ+ pride, social support, and involvement in student groups—that foster resilience and belonging in hostile environments.
Other areas of my research involve developing and validating quantitative scales for use with 2SLGBTQ+ communities, including the LGBQ and trans microaggressions scales, as well as inclusive demographic questions. I also explore 2SLGBTQ+ healthcare and assess the effectiveness of community services and programs, for example counselling and recreational initiatives for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. My earlier work included research on collaborative policymaking, studies on contemporary LGBT attitudes, including support for same-sex marriage and LGBT civil rights, and HIV/AIDS prevention research among men who have sex with men and other vulnerable groups.
Research Approach
My research is interdisciplinary and grounded in the principles of social justice and action research. It draws on frameworks such as minority stress, socio-ecological theory, intersectionality, positive psychology, and empowerment. I use quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs to advance knowledge and inform policies, services, and practices so they can be more responsive to 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
Projects
Since joining Laurier in 2014, my team and I have conducted several campus climate studies, including the national Querying Higher Education in Canada and the Ontario-wide, Thriving On Campus. Recently, we hosted the Thriving On Campus Virtual Conference Series, which brought together over 250 campus leaders and service providers from across Ontario and beyond to share findings from our research and other 2SLGBTQ+ studies. The series emphasized collaboration within and across universities to support the development of responsive policies and programs.
For more information about Thriving On Campus, including community reports and webinars featuring results and ways to foster 2SLGBTQ inclusion, please see https://lgbtq2sthrivingoncampus.ca/en_ca/
To address key gaps in the 2SLGBTQ+ campus climate literature, my colleagues and I guest-edited a special issue of the Journal of LGBT Youth in 2024, titled, “Thriving on Campus: Promoting the Inclusion, Academic Development, and Wellbeing of Diverse 2SLGBTQ+ University and College Students.” The special issue will be published as an edited book in 2025.
Two recent community-based projects I led include a staff training needs assessment conducted with the local cancer care centre as part of their 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusive Cancer Care Initiative, and an evaluation of Spectrum’s 2SLGBTQ+ Multi-Sport Drop-In Program, which offers inclusive sports activities for 2SLGBTQ+ adults in Waterloo Region.
Funding
My research and collaborative projects are supported by various sources, including Social Sciences and Humanities Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Sport Canada (Heritage Canada).
- Faculty Mentoring Award, Donald F. Morgenson Award for Teaching Excellence, Wilfrid Laurier University (2024)
- Fellow, Society for Social Work and Research (2016 - Current)
- Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Merit Award (numerous years)
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression Scholarship Award, Council on Social Work Education (2012)
- Professor of the Year, Student Union, School of Social Work, University of Michigan (2012)
I am on sabbatical from July 1, 2024, until June 30, 2025; therefore, I am not taking on any new supervisees during this time. Typically, I am open to supervising undergraduate honours thesis students and graduate students areas such as of 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion, wellbeing, resilience, and academic success; 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive services and programs; sexual and gender prejudice; 2SLGBTQ+ youth development.
In my lab, I welcome undergraduate and graduate research assistants interested in 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion, discrimination, wellbeing, and resilience. Please feel free to contact me about any available opportunities.
2SLGBTQ+ Campus Climate Research: Outreach Materials
- Thriving On Campus: Community Reports (2022). https://lgbtq2sthrivingoncampus.ca/en_ca/community-reports/
- Thriving On Campus: Webinars (2020 - 2024). https://lgbtq2sthrivingoncampus.ca/en_ca/knowledge-mobilization/
- Woodford, M. R.., Van Giessen, E., Vo, T. (2023, October). Thriving On Campus – Part 2. I Can See CLRiE Now, Centre for Leading Research in Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, hosted by Shawna Reibling https://i-can-see-clrie-now.simplecast.com/episodes/5-thriving-on-campus-part-2
- Woodford, M. R.., Van Giessen, E., Vo, T. (2023, October). Thriving On Campus – Part 1. I Can See CLRiE Now, Centre for Leading Research in Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, hosted by Shawna Reibling. https://i-can-see-clrie-now.simplecast.com/episodes/4-thriving-on-campus
- Woodford, M. R., (2023, May). In Conversation with Michael Woodford: 2SLGBTQ+ Thriving in Academic Spaces. The Laurier Teaching Podcast, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Wilfrid Laurier University, hosted by Belle O’Neill. https://sites.libsyn.com/445761/site/in-conversation-with-michael-woodford-2slgbtq-thriving-in-academic-spaces
- Woodford, M. R., Coulombe, S., Schwabe, N., and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. (2019, May 2). LGBTQ2 Health Policy: Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ2 Post-Secondary Students. Brief submitted to The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, Government of Canada. https://lgbtq2sthrivingoncampus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LGBTQ2-Health-Policy-2019.pdf
Journal Articles
- Burchell, D., Coleman, T., Travers, R., Aversa, I., Schmid, E., Coulombe, S., Wilson, C., Woodford, M. R., & Davis, C. (2024). ‘I don’t want to have to teach every medical provider’: barriers to care among non-binary people in the Canadian healthcare system. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 26(1), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2023.2185685
- Shires, D. A., Prieto, L, Woodford, M. R., Jaffee, K. D., & Stroumsa, D. (2022). Gynecological providers’ willingness to prescribe gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender patients. Transgender Health, 7(4), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2021.0008
- Woodford, M. R., Atteberry-Ash, B. Jaffee, K., & Dessel, A. B. (2021). “My church teaches homosexuality is a sin;” Religious teachings, personal religious beliefs, and MSW students’ attitudes toward sexual minorities. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 40(2), 216-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2020.1871154
- Fisher, C. M., Woodford, M. R., Gartner, R. E., Sterzing, P. R, & Victor, B. G. (2019). Advancing research on LGBTQ microaggressions: A psychometric review of measures. Journal of Homosexuality, 66(10), 1345-1379. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1539581
- Woodford, M. R., Weber, G., Nicolazzo, Z., Hunt, R., Kulick, A., Coleman, T., & Renn, K. A. (2018). Depression and attempted suicide among LGBTQ college students: Fostering resilience to the effects of heterosexism and cisgenderism on campus. Journal of College Student Development, 59(4), 421-438. doi: 10.1353/csd.2018.0040
- Woodford, M. R., Kulick, A. T., Garvey, J. C., Sinco, B., & Hong, J. S (2018). LGBTQ policies and resources on campus and the experiences and psychological wellbeing of sexual minority students. Journal of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 5(4), 445-456. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2018.0040
- Pitcher, E., Camacho, T., Renn, K., & Woodford, M. R. (2018). Affirming policies, programs, and supportive services: Understanding organizational supports promoting LGBTQ+ college student success. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 11(2), 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000048
- Woodford, M. R., Joslin, J. Y., Pitcher, E. N., & Renn, K. (2017). A mixed-methods inquiry into trans* environmental microaggressions on college campuses: Experiences and outcomes. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 26(1-2), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2016.1263817
- Woodford, M. R., Chonody, J. M., Kulick, A., Brennan, D. J., & Renn, K. (2015). The LGBQ Microaggressions on Campus Scale: A Scale Development and Validation Study. Journal of Homosexuality, 62(12), 1660–1687. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2015.1078205
Contact Info:
T: 548.889.4992
F: 519.888.9732
Office location: FSW302
Office hours:
By appointment.
Languages spoken: English