Francis Ray White

Francis Ray White is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, and Course Leader for the BA Sociology and BA Sociology and Criminology programmes. His research focuses on intersections of gender, queer theory, and fat studies, particularly exploring fat/trans embodiment and the sociocultural implications of non-binary identities in higher education. He holds a PhD in Sociology and an MA in Gender, Culture, and Modernity from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Francis is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Fat Liberation and Scholarship and leads the Westminster Elective module in LGBTQ Studies.

Key research projects include the ESRC-funded Trans Pregnancy: An International Exploration of Transmasculine Practices of Reproduction (2017–2021) and the Non-Binary in Higher Education: Lived Experiences, Imagined Futures initiative. His work critiques discourses of the 'obesity epidemic' and explores fat activism's intersections with trans identities.

Publications include analyses of fat embodiment, trans pregnancy, and queer methodologies. Francis has supervised PhD students on topics such as gendered agency and queer pedagogy. His academic contributions span journals like Feminist Media Studies and Somatechnics, and book chapters in volumes such as Thickening Fat: Fat Bodies, Intersectionality, and Social Justice.

Awards and recognitions are not explicitly listed, though his extensive publications and research grants highlight his scholarly impact. Francis advises students interested in fat studies and gendered embodiment, emphasizing interdisciplinary and activist-oriented research.