Michael Ma

Michael C.K. Ma's Website

Michael C.K. Ma is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He works in the area of social justice, community advocacy, anti-racism, and harm reduction. His current research is in the area of drug use. He is a founding member of The Social Justice Centre, www.thesocialjusticecentre.org. In the past he was very active with the Chinese Canadian National Council - Toronto Chapter and the Metro Network for Social Justice. His academic training is in sculpture, art history, and social/political thought.

Contributions to Research and Training

My research, teaching, and community work focus on harm reduction, race and racism, and the intersections of justice, equity, and health. Grounded in community-based research and social theory, my scholarship seeks to include the perspectives of people most affected by the toxic drug crisis and carceral policies.

As Principal or Co-Investigator on numerous externally funded projects—including an NSERC College and Community Social Innovation Fund ($358 K, 2024) and a BC Ministry of Health Seed Grant ($49 K, 2025)—I have collaborated with community partners and people who use drugs to co-develop responsive research tools and evaluate overdose-prevention services. My current SSHRC-aligned agenda examines community-led models of social change, prison education, and AI’s impact on higher education.

In my peer-reviewed work, such as Peer Power (Community Development Journal, 2024) and Carceral Cultures/Carceral Logistics (Topia, 2021), I analyze how marginalized groups navigate structural violence while building collective resilience. My co-authored book Troubling Criminology (Between the Lines, 2025) challenges dominant narratives in Canadian criminology through a social-justice lens.

I have supervised and examined numerous honours and graduate students at UVic, SFU, and KPU, guiding projects on homelessness, drug policy, and the falsely accused. My supervision emphasizes kindness, collaboration, self-reflexive ethics, research co-creation, and community dissemination.

Relevant Experience and Contributions

Before joining UVic, I taught for fourteen years at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where I co-founded the Social Justice Centre and led departmental equity initiatives. At UVic, I teach Crime and Deviance, Drugs, Society and Social Policy, and Issues in Racialization, integrating harm-reduction practice, public scholarship, multimodal in-class engagement, and collaborative storytelling.

I am developing Inside-Out: Prison Education Program, an experiential-learning course bringing UVic students and incarcerated learners together. My approach centers on critical pedagogy and participatory learning, reflecting SSHRC’s commitment to social impact through research-based teaching.

Public engagement is integral to my academic practice. I have organized and spoken at conferences including Transforming Justice (2025) and have presented widely on race, harm reduction, and community advocacy across Canada. My YouTube channel @UniversityAIed (2,500+ followers) extends public discourse on generative AI and academic practice, bridging research and outreach.

Recognitions

My work has been recognized through multiple institutional awards and grant successes, including the 2024 BC Ministry of Health Seed Grant, the 2024 NSERC CCSIF award, and previous provincial and federal grants. I have been nominated for the President’s Dissertation Prize (York University) and the Grant Notley Memorial Fellowship (University of Alberta). My leadership in teaching innovation is acknowledged through invitations to local and provincial workshops on multimodal learning and innovations in pedagogy.

Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Equity and inclusion underpin all dimensions of my work. I have served on UVic’s Equity Committee and Dean’s Advisory Forum for Indigenization, and I am the co-chair of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Community of Practice.

As a current ally of SOLID Outreach (peer-run harm reduction) and a current member of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada, I collaborate with racialized and marginalized communities to produce policy-relevant research and public education. At KPU, I chaired the Social Justice Committee and helped contribute to the Taskforce on Anti-Racism. My community work, publications, and teaching collectively advance equitable participation in higher education and civic life.