Professor Kate Henne appointed RegNet Director

We are delighted to announce that Professor Kathryn (Kate) Henne has taken up the role of Director at RegNet as of January 1, 2020.

Kate was most recently the Canada Research Chair in Biogovernance, Law and Society at the University of Waterloo. An interdisciplinarily trained scholar, she has degrees in criminology, law and society, anthropology, gender studies, kinesiology, political economy and science and technology studies.

“I am thrilled to take up this role at RegNet. The world is facing pressing challenges related to climate and political change, inequality, and technological innovation. RegNet has never shied away from complex regulatory challenges, and I am looking forward to expanding our network into new areas while staying committed to our core principles”.

Kate first joined RegNet in 2011, and has served in various administrative roles, including Director of Education and HDR Convenor. Most recently, she co-developed and convened the Policy and Practice of Regulation, a course that targets regulators and is the entry requirement for RegNet’s new Graduate Certificate in Regulation and Governance.

Her research interests are concerned with the interface between inequality, technoscience and regulation. She has published widely on topics related to biometric surveillance, technologies of policing and the regulation of human enhancement and wellbeing. She was named the 2018 Critical Criminologist of the Year by the American Society of Criminology and is a Fellow in the Higher Education Academy. Her most recent book is the co-edited volume (with Blayne Haggart and Natasha Tusikov) Information, Technology and Control in a Changing World – Power Structures in the 21st Century (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019).

Kate will carry on the inspiring work of our outgoing School Director, Professor Sharon Friel. Sharon has been instrumental in the success of RegNet over the past five and a half years building upon the existing research profile of the school, introducing the Master of Criminology, Justice and Regulation, and ensuring the school’s ongoing sustainability.

Please join us in thanking Sharon for her contributions as RegNet Director and in congratulating Kate on her new appointment.