Yvonne Su

Dr. Yvonne Su is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Equity Studies at York University and Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Development from the University of Guelph and an MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on forced migration, queer migration, climate change adaptation, and climate-induced displacement, with a particular emphasis on marginalized communities in the Global South.

Dr. Su has secured over $10.9 million in research funding, including a $3.17 million Canadian New Frontiers in Research Fund grant (co-PI) examining climate adaptation in Bangladesh, Ghana, the Philippines, and other regions. Her work bridges academic scholarship with policy impact, influencing UNHCR, IPCC, and national governments. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and Fellow at the University of Amsterdam.

Her interdisciplinary approach integrates participatory methodologies with decolonial frameworks, collaborating closely with local communities, NGOs, and policymakers. Key research areas include: South-South queer forced migration; socio-ecological impacts of climate change in ASEAN nations; and the intersectional precarity faced by Venezuelan LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Brazil and Colombia.

Dr. Su has published 26 peer-reviewed articles and over 40 opinion pieces, including widely-read articles in The Washington Post and The Conversation. Her policy contributions include co-authoring recommendations for Venezuelan asylum policies that have influenced regional governments and international organizations.

Current projects include analyzing climate adaptation maladaptation in the Global South and investigating the impacts of critical mineral supply chains on Indigenous communities. She leads the Global South Migration Lab at York University to amplify underrepresented scholars' voices in transnational migration research.