Matson Lawrence

    Matson is the acting Equality and Diversity Manager at the University of Strathclyde. He leads the Equality & Diversity Office within the Access, Equality and Inclusion service.

    Prior to this role, Matson was a Research Associate with the NORFACE-funded CILIA-LGBTQI+ study, based at the School of Education, examining intersectional lifecourse (in)equalities among LGBTQI+ people in four European countries.

    Between 2016-2018, Matson worked on the TransEDU Scotland research and wider TransEDU project based at the University Strathclyde. Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, the research examined the experiences of, and provision for, trans and non-binary applicants, students and staff in colleges and universities across Scotland. The project was awarded a Guardian University Award, a Herald Scotland & GenAnalytics Diversity Award, and a Strathclyde Medal Team Award.

   In 2018, Matson was seconded to the Scottish Funding Council as a Senior Policy / Analysis Officer, with responsibility for overseeing implementation of the Gender Action Plan in colleges and universities across Scotland.

    Matson has also led Creative Scotland-funded research on young disabled and D/deaf people’s access to arts provision with Birds of Paradise Theatre Company. He has worked extensively with intersectional LGBTQI+ communities in the third and arts sectors, through roles at LGBT Health and Wellbeing and CCC! Intersectional Arts.

    Matson holds an interdisciplinary Doctorate in Law and Applied Social Sciences from Durham University examining young adults’ perspectives on sexual media and its legal regulation, and has been a Research Assistant on several gender-based violence projects.

    Matson co-chairs StrathPride, the LGBTQI+ staff and PGR network at the University of Strathclyde. Matson's co-authored book – Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Students and Staff in Further and Higher Education: Practical advice for colleges and universities – was published by Jessica Kingley Publishers in January 2019.

• PhD Law and Applied Social Sciences, Durham University
• BA Combined Honours in Social Sciences, 1st Class Hons, Durham University

• PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Strathclyde (Ongoing)