Michelle Liu is a PhD candidate in civil engineering at the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society, under the supervision of Prof. Jena McGill and Prof. Beatriz Martin-Perez.
Michelle Liu is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng), member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario, speaker, activist, policy consultant, and third-generation settler based on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. As a Queer, non-binary, racialized, and neurodivergent person, Michelle Liu鈥檚 focus across their undertakings is on using their subject matter knowledge and lived experience to influence individuals, organizations, and systems to advance social justice. Critical, decolonial, abolitionist, Queer, and intersectional frameworks are among the lenses through which Michelle Liu conducts their work.
Michelle Liu鈥檚 speaking, activism, and policy advisory work has touched over 160 events, documents, and organizations. They currently hold research contracts at both the University of Ottawa and Toronto Metropolitan University in addition to their speaking and consulting work. They are also on the editorial team of the , a multidisciplinary and peer-reviewed publication of scholarship on the social, economic, and legal status of women, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming persons.
Michelle Liu earned their Honours BASc and MASc in civil engineering (structural and cold regions engineering) from the University of Waterloo and worked in design and construction management for various consulting engineering firms. Michelle Liu鈥檚 encounters with racism, homophobia, ableism, and gender-based violence in engineering inspired them to pursue their law degree (JD, Magna cum laude and Dean鈥檚 Award) and engineering PhD simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. While in law school, Michelle Liu served two terms as the President of the , President of , and member of the University Senate. Michelle Liu has worked at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Ecojustice Canada.
Supported by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, Michelle Liu鈥檚 doctoral research uses sociolegal frameworks to understand the relationship between technological designs and the dominant norms in engineering such as masculinity and meritocracy.
Michelle Liu鈥檚 volunteer work in both law and engineering include serving as a Councillor (Board Member) of , member of the , mentor with the , Chair of the , member of 91精品黑料吃瓜 Law鈥檚 Recent Alumni Engagement Council, ambassador with the , and Co-Chair of the .
Michelle Liu also co-created and co-funds the , the first university-level scholarship for 2SLGBTQ+ engineering students in Canada. They are the recipient of over 20 awards from various institutions for their leadership, activism, and impact, including being named an .