Getting to know U of GH’s new Justice Studies Chair, Gary Galbraith

Gary Galbraith is a public safety expert, avid runner, and passionate traveller (he will travel to his 40th country this year!) with a love for giving back to the community through charity fundraisers. This year, he took on a new role as the University of Guelph-Humber’s Justice Studies Chair.

You may have noticed his contagious smile as he walks through the halls of the University — now, get to know him through some fun facts about his academic and personal interests.

Q: Welcome to the University of Guelph-Humber! As the new Chair of Justice Studies joining during the 2024-2025 academic year, what drew you to this role?

A: First of all, thanks and appreciation to everyone for the warm welcome to the university since my start in November 2024! It is truly an honour to be part of this unique and innovative institution.

My interest in the Chair role was fuelled by the knowledge that Justice Studies has a talented team of professors, dedicated students, and amazing alumni. The programs at Guelph-Humber are well-respected and have earned a reputation for excellence among law enforcement and public safety agencies across Canada. This legacy of success and community service has been built over several decades through the work and achievements of students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and the leadership of the previous Chair (Dr. Gary Ellis) during his 14 years of contributions and service to the University. 

I have been particularly impressed by the depth and breadth of the academic curriculum and the co-curricular activities in Justice Studies. This includes the focus on experiential learning and professional development through two placements, as well as the opportunity to concurrently acquire both an undergraduate degree and a specialized diploma, where these aspects open an impressive range of future academic and professional pathways for our students. The careers and outcomes of the alumni over two decades are outstanding and inspiring to our current students, and to all associated with these respected and ell-established programs.

Q: If you could just choose one, which area of justice studies most fascinates you in the academic sense?

A: We are living through a time marked by an unprecedented level of connectivity, where the traditional boundaries between local, national, and global contexts have become fused. This pace of change is exponential and the capacity to navigate these changes necessitates a renewed emphasis on the benefits offered by post-secondary education such as critical thinking and the creativity to generate insights and solutions into seemingly intractable problems and issues.  My area of interest is disaster and emergency planning, specifically the policies and administrations of Public Safety and Justice Studies in Canada and across the globe. In these academic fields, previous mechanisms for assessing risks and threats at a societal level has been fundamentally altered due to immense technological, societal and geographical change in human communities and their relationship with the natural and built environments. This is a particularly exciting time to be involved in the study of public safety and justice, which requires thoughtful, ethical and reflective researchers and practitioners who can embrace this complexity in their work and professional practices to overcoming the prejudices, biases and injustices of the past, and to build and sustain communities centred in principles of access and inclusion.  

Q: You’re a member of several professional associations pertaining to public safety. What do you do through these associations and what are they called?

A: Over the last decade, I have been honoured to be a member of several professional associations, such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED Canada), ASIS Toronto, the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE), Disaster Recovery Institute Canada, the Ontario Association of Emergency Managers, and other networks that operate on a volunteer basis to share information and hold events to promote community resilience, public safety, and the mitigation of threats, crime and risks. Participation in these networks is helpful for the exchange of knowledge and best practices between academic researchers and professionals.

Q: What’s your favourite way to give back to the community? 

A: My favourite way of giving back is getting involved with community events such as polar dips, fun runs and group walks to raise awareness and funds for charities. My recommendation to students seeking careers in public safety and law enforcement is to ‘Get Involved and Be Informed’ by taking part in the student societies and clubs at Guelph-Humber and attending student-aimed events involving professional associations to extend volunteering and networking opportunities beyond the university. Volunteer service is also an important aspect in public safety and law enforcement through participation in events such as the Coldest Night of the Year walk.  

Q: Is there anything else you want the Guelph-Humber community to know about you?

A: I have always enjoyed travel and the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, in terms of culture and geography. My favourite moments have involved taking part in runs in overseas locations, such as a ‘fun run’ up the TV Mountain (Koh-e Asmai) in Kabul, Afghanistan (2003), or running through villages and trails in paddy fields and villages in Cambodia for a social run in 2004. I have travelled to 39 countries in my life, for work or travel, and will mark country number 40 with the Study Abroad trip to Morocco that I am leading in May and June. Over my 25-year career in public safety and post-secondary education, I have been privileged to have worked in five countries, on four continents, and to have spent fifteen years teaching in public safety and law enforcement programs at various Ontario colleges and universities. I am looking forward to hearing ideas from students, staff, industry partners, and alumni for how the Justice programs can continue building opportunities and success for our students, and my door is always open to hearing the thoughts of students.

My main message to our students is there are many opportunities offered through the university, and the world beyond and we are here to support you. While the background of the world, and its economic, societal, and political challenges may seem daunting at times, our role and critical function as post-secondary educators is to offer a safe, inclusive, and open space for the development and exchange of ideas. It is important that students know there are always options and resources if they encounter challenges in their studies and lives, where we have a dedicated community of staff and professors here to support students, so please always reach out if you need help.

Q: Finally, what’s the best knock-knock joke our mascot Swoop has told you since you’ve joined Guelph-Humber? 

A: While Swoop has not disclosed any of their best lines, I am a great fan of comedy clubs and love going to open-mic and stand-up nights as an audience member, but not a performer. While I can’t speak for Swoop, I did ask GenAI via Microsoft Copilot to write me a joke, and it came up with the one below:

Knock, knock. Who's there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, it's freezing out here!

The good news with the above is that we still have a long way to go before Generative Artificial Intelligence replaces the creativity of human comedy, so we are still safe!