Dr. Emma Cunliffe, Professor in the Allard School of Law, has been appointed as the fourth Principal of Green College, effective July 1, 2024, for a five-year term.
In her academic work, Dr. Cunliffe studies how courts decide the facts of contested cases. She is particularly interested in expert evidence, the operation of implicit bias, and legal processes regarding gendered and racialized violence, particularly those regarding Indigenous people. Dr. Cunliffe is a member of the evidence-based forensic initiative, which is based at the University of New South Wales (where she is a senior visiting fellow). Her 2011 monograph Murder, Medicine and Motherhood (Hart: Oxford, 2011) provided a comprehensive evaluation of the wrongful conviction of Australian mother Kathleen Folbigg. This book led to a review of Ms. Folbigg’s case and eventually, contributed to her receiving a free pardon in June 2023.
Dr. Cunliffe’s contributions to research and teaching have been recognized, including in the 2016 Courage in Law Award given by the Indigenous Law Students Association at UBC, a UBC Killam Research Fellowship (2014), the Killam Award for Teaching Excellence (2010) and the George Curtis Memorial Award for Teaching (2010).
Professor Emeritus Don Fisher is currently Acting Principal of Green College, having started in September 2023. Former Principal Dr. Mark Vessey served as Principal of Green College at UBC from 2008-2023.
Please visit the Green College website to read the full announcement.