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Andrew Welsh

Associate Professor, Criminology
awelsh@wlu.ca
Brantford, Ontario
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
Andrew Welsh is an expert in crime in the media, fan subculture and fandom, forensic psychology, gender in film, media criminology and media violence and appeals of violent media.

Areas of Expertise

  • Crime and Violence in Media
  • Fandom
  • Film Studies and Cinema
  • Forensic Psychology

Biography

I received my Honour's BA in Psychology at the University of Waterloo (1993-1997), my MA (1997-1999) and PhD (2000-2004) in the Experimental Law and Psychology program at Simon Fraser University. I joined the Criminology Department at Wilfrid Laurier University in July 2006. Prior to working at Laurier, I was a Criminology Instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, British Columbia. In addition to teaching in the Criminology Department, I have been the Associate Dean in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences since Fall 2013. Currently, I am on a sabbatical from Jan. 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020.

The main focus of my research is in the area of media criminology. Generally, I am interested in how the media portrays crime and justice issues and the effects of these portrayals on the public. Current and past research has focused on violence and gender issues in popular film, meanings of justice in media, and moral panics in news and social media. Future research interests and projects include toxic fandom and fan subculture identity and identity management.