Laura Connelly

Dr Laura Connelly is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield, serving as PGR Admissions Lead and Research Theme Co-Lead for Social Inequalities and Social Ordering. Previously, she held lecturing positions at the University of Salford and research/teaching roles at the University of Leeds.

She earned her PhD in Governance of Sex Trafficking in England and Wales from the University of Leeds in 2016. Her research spans criminology, sociology, gender studies, and critical race theory, focusing on intersections of gender, race, migration, and criminalization within the sex industry. Key areas include violence against sex workers, migrant/digital sex work, human trafficking, post-racial racisms, anti-racism, and police abolition in educational settings.

Connelly's recent publications reveal a trajectory emphasizing scholar-activism, with growing focus on digital rights for sex workers (2023-2024), anti-racist pedagogy, and critical examinations of policing. Her work consistently bridges academic rigor with social justice praxis, particularly through collaborations with sex worker-led organizations.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• US Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award 2023 for Anti-Racist Scholar-Activism (co-authored with Remi Joseph-Salisbury)

She has supervised two PhD completions on modern slavery mechanisms and British Muslim women's identity, and currently mentors an ESRC-funded project on sex work digital rights. Her grants portfolio features collaborations with the English Collective of Prostitutes and Liberty, addressing migrant sex work, campus security, and modern slavery policing.

Connelly chairs the international Sex Work Research Hub and co-leads her School's Social Inequalities research theme, maintaining active partnerships with sex worker collectives and civil liberties organizations to translate research into tangible social change.