Dr Matson Lawrence
Equality And Diversity Manager
Equality & Diversity
Personal statement
Matson is an Equality and Diversity Manager at the University of Strathclyde. He co-leads the Equality & Diversity Office team within the Access, Equality and Inclusion service.
Matson worked on the TransEDU Scotland research and wider TransEDU project based at the University Strathclyde (2016-2018). Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, the research examined the experiences of, and provision for, trans and non-binary applicants, students and staff in colleges and universities across Scotland. The project was awarded a Guardian University Award, a Herald Scotland & GenAnalytics Diversity Award, and a Strathclyde Medal Team Award.
Matson's co-authored book – Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Students and Staff in Further and Higher Education: Practical advice for colleges and universities – was published by Jessica Kingley Publishers in January 2019.
Matson was also a Research Associate with the NORFACE-funded CILIA-LGBTQI+ study, based in the Strathclyde Institute of Education, examining intersectional lifecourse (in)equalities among LGBTQI+ people in four European countries (2018-2021).
Matson was seconded to the Scottish Funding Council as a Senior Policy / Analysis Officer, with responsibility for overseeing implementation of the Gender Action Plan in Scotland's colleges and universities.
Matson has led Creative Scotland-funded research on young disabled and D/deaf people’s access to arts provision with Birds of Paradise Theatre Company. He has worked extensively with intersectional LGBTQI+ communities in the third and arts sectors, through roles at LGBT Health and Wellbeing and in community arts.
Matson holds an interdisciplinary Doctorate in Law and Applied Social Sciences from Durham University examining young adults’ perspectives on sexual media and its legal regulation, and has been a Research Assistant on several gender-based violence projects.
Matson co-chairs StrathPride, the LGBTQI+ staff and PGR network at the University of Strathclyde, and the TransEDU Community of Practice for the tertiary education sector in Scotland.
Prize And Awards
- Strathclyde Medal Principal's Special Award
- Recipient
- 2023
- Strathclyde Medal Award
- Recipient
- 2023
- Strathclyde Medal Award
- Recipient
- 2022
- Herald Diversity Award
- Recipient
- 11/10/2018
- Strathclyde Medal Team Award
- Recipient
- 28/9/2018
- Guardian University Award
- Recipient
- 2018
Qualifications
- PhD Law and Applied Social Sciences, Durham University
- BA Combined Honours in Social Sciences, 1st Class Hons, Durham University
- PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Strathclyde (Ongoing)
Publications
- CILIA-LGBTQI+ Comparing Intersectional Lifecourse Inequalities among LGBTQI+ Citizens in Four European Countries : Scotland Policy Brief
- Taylor Yvette, Lawrence Matson, Andreasen Maja B
- (2021)
- Trans inclusive Higher Education : strategies to support trans, non-binary and gender diverse students and staff
- Mckendry Stephanie, Lawrence Matson
- Strategies for Supporting Inclusion and Diversity in the Academy Higher Education, Aspiration and Inequality (2020) (2020)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43593-6_11
- The UK government LGBT Action Plan : discourses of progress, enduring stasis, and LGBTQI+ lives 'getting better'
- Lawrence Matson, Taylor Yvette
- Critical Social Policy (2019)
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018319877284
- Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students and Staff in Further and Higher Education : Practical Advice for Colleges and Universities
- Lawrence Matson, Mckendry Stephanie
- (2019)
- Empowering Leadership to Support Transgender Students and Staff within Higher Education : What Works to Raise Awareness and Effect Change?
- Mckendry Stephanie, Lawrence Matson
- (2019)
- TransEDU Scotland : Researching the Experience of Trans and Gender Diverse Applicants, Students and Staff in Scotland's Colleges and Universities
- Mckendry Stephanie, Lawrence Matson
- (2017)
Professional Activities
- Neurodiversity Research Hub (Event)
- Chair
- 2021
- Blog: 'It gets better? Intersectional LGBTQI+ (in)equalities and the UK Government’s LGBT Action Plan
- Blogger
- 24/9/2019
- From Section 28 to LGBTQI+ Inclusion? Legacies, tensions and trajectories in Education
- Organiser
- 1/5/2019
- How to help trans and non-binary students and staff - Tes Blog
- Recipient
- 22/2/2019
- How can staff in higher education support trans & non-binary people during transition? - JKP Blog
- Recipient
- 8/2/2019
- National Gender Conference
- Organiser
- 25/10/2018
Projects
- Exploring and mitigating barriers for trans and non-binary researchers to engage in research collaborations and networks
- Lawrence, Matson (Principal Investigator) Mckendry, Stephanie (Co-investigator)
- Whilst existing research has explored the overall experiences of trans and non-binary staff and students in higher education, there is a gap in our understanding of the specific experiences, challenges and support needs of trans and non-binary people engaged in research and innovation. Through empirical research and sector workshops, this project will explore how to support trans and non-binary researchers, nurture collaborative activities, and develop resources to improve trans and non-binary inclusion and literacy within the research process.
- 31-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
- Comparing Intersectional Life Course Inequalities amongst LGBTQ People in Five European Countries
- Taylor, Yvette (Principal Investigator) Lawrence, Matson (Researcher)
- 01-Jan-2018 - 30-Jan-2021
- Empowering leadership to support transgender students and staff within higher education
- Mckendry, Stephanie (Principal Investigator) Lawrence, Matson (Co-investigator)
- There is increasing evidence that trans people face
significant challenges studying and working in higher
education (ECU, 2009; LGBT Youth Scotland, 2018; NUS,
2014; Stonewall, 2018a,b). Research undertaken at the
University of Strathclyde to explore the experiences and
challenges of this diverse group discovered a far greater
proportion of students considering or having left their
course, and issues around learning and teaching,
placements and confidentiality (Mckendry and Lawrence,
2017; Lawrence and Mckendry, forthcoming 2019). While
staff were often keen to support trans students, there was a
lack of awareness or training to provide background
context, a wider understanding of terminology or the
support requirements that might improve their student
experience. Similarly, trans and gender diverse staff
encountered barriers in relation to applying for roles and a
range of aspects of daily working life.
Building upon the University of Strathclyde research, this
project explored how to raise awareness effectively and
promote change and leadership. The project worked with
a sample of institutions to determine what materials would
be effective in increasing awareness of the transgender
population and building capacity and motivation to improve
support. Engagement also focused on developing
practical resources to enable positive change. The
TransEDU research team – Dr Stephanie Mckendry and
Dr Matson Lawrence – created and evaluated training
materials, policy templates, mapping documents and
multimedia resources that will inform university leaders
and practitioners about the lived experiences, support
needs and perspectives of trans students and staff.
The project developed the support website trans.ac.uk
as a free, open-access resource for those in higher
education supporting trans, non-binary and gender
diverse people. It includes training resources and
materials, case studies of best practice, animated
videos and guidance. - 01-Jan-2017 - 01-Jan-2018
- Developing Trans+ Policy and Provison in HE
- Lawrence, Matson (Researcher)
- KE Partnership and Training Exchange with Trinity College Dublin
- 18-Jan-2017 - 25-Jan-2017
- TransEdu Scotland: Investigating the experiences of, and current provision for, trans applicants, students and staff in Further and Higher Education across Scotland
- Mckendry, Stephanie (Principal Investigator) Lawrence, Matson (Researcher)
- 27-Jan-2016 - 29-Jan-2017
- Investigating the barriers faced by young disabled and D/deaf people in accessing youth arts provision in Scotland
- Lawrence, Matson (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2015 - 01-Jan-2016
Contact
Dr
Matson
Lawrence
Equality And Diversity Manager
Equality & Diversity
Email: matson.lawrence@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2401