Mr Oriola, a professor of Criminology and Sociology, in his research proposal notes that he aims to fill the knowledge gap about people of colour working in Canada's justice system.
A member of the PREMIUM TIMES editorial board, Tope Oriola, has received a national fellowship in Canada.
Mr Oriola was announced as one of the recipients of the Dorothy Killam Fellowship in March. The fellowship, worth $160,000 over two years, will see Mr Oriola conduct research and social innovation on "Beyond victimisation: BIPOC officials in the Canadian criminal justice system."
Mr Oriola, a professor of Criminology and Sociology, in his research proposal notes that he aims to fill the knowledge gap about people of colour working in Canada's justice system.
Although some research has been done on people in the criminal justice system who are Indigenous, Black or people of colour, it tends to focus mainly on their "victimization and historical positionality as oppressed persons or contemporary clients," the press statement announcing the fellowship quoted him as saying.
"Little is known about BIPOC professionals with careers as police officers, judges, defence lawyers, crown prosecutors and corrections officers in Canada," he writes, adding that filling that gap is crucial in the age of Black Lives Matter, decolonization and movements against Asian hate.
The President and Vice-chancellor of the university, Bill Flanagan, congratulated Mr Oriola noting that he was thrilled to see the Nigerian's research recognized in this way, and "I wish you all the very best as you pursue this very compelling and timely research project."
Mr Oriola received the fellowship alongside his colleague Kisha Supernant, an archaeologist also from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts.
Describing both types of research as pressing social problems, Robert Wood, dean of the Faculty of Arts said "Kisha and Temitope are exemplars in the arts community, and I'm so pleased they are being recognized and honoured in this way."
"The fellowships not only reflect the depth and quality of their research expertise but also their commitments to illuminate topics and issues of the greatest importance to our society," he added.
While Temitope Oriola will assess how professionals who are Indigenous, Black and people of colour fare in Canada's criminal justice system, his colleague Archeologist Kisha Supernant will explore ways to transform Canada's heritage policy and practice to ensure Indigenous communities secure the right to their cultural heritage and how it is framed.
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About the fellowship
The Dorothy Killam Fellowships (formerly the Killam Research Fellowships) provide support to scholars of exceptional ability by granting them time to pursue research projects of broad significance and widespread interest within the disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, engineering or studies linking any of these disciplines.
A Dorothy Killam Fellow is a leading researcher whose superior, ground-breaking, best-in-class research stands to have a significant impact on a national or global scale. Dorothy Killam Fellowships are valued at $80,000 CAD per year for a total of 2 years.
The fellowships provide relief from teaching and administrative duties while researchers pursue "original, transformational and future-focused knowledge and technology" aimed at "challenging the way we live."
