Introducing the Multispecies Collective's Members

As we launch the Multispecies Collective, we would like to introduce you to our founding members who previously organised as the Animals, Nature & Society Research Group. We would also like to introduce our wonderful new members who join us as we relaunch.

Our researchers lead large-scale research projects on multispecies flourishing and they are connected by the collective’s shared objectives and values. They all look forward to meeting with our network at our events, and finding new ways to collaborate toward multispecies flourishing.

The Multispecies Collective’s Founding Members

Iyan Offor (founding leader)

Dr Iyan Offor is an assistant professor in environmental law and sustainable development at the University of Birmingham. Iyan is a critical socio-legal theorist conducting interdisciplinary research on multispecies legalities. His active research projects are: Solarpunk Narrative and Multispecies (Legal) Worlding; Transqueer Ecological Justice; Law’s Other – Posthumanist Legal Subjectivity in the Anthropocene; and a Research Agenda for Animal Law. Iyan recently published his monograph Global Animal Law from the Margins. Iyan is editor for the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy and academic consultant for the UK Centre for Animal Law.

Michelle Strauss (deputy leader)

Michelle Strauss is a PhD researcher at the School of Law at Birmingham City University. Her research is focused on participatory approaches in environmental decision making and how to involve non-humans in legislative processes. Michelle works as a claims professional at a global insurer focusing on professional indemnity insurance claims and is the founder  of a charity whose objective is to improve animal welfare by using the law to shine a light on systemic animal welfare problems and to seek solutions. She is a dual qualified solicitor, admitted to the bar in New Zealand in 2007 and in England and Wales in 2019.

Love Alfred

 Love Alfred is a lecturer at Birmingham City University. She conducts research on just transition. Her doctoral work looked at energy access and the relevance of a multilevel perspective for a just transition. This research has crystallised into work aimed at educating and engaging non-state actors – such as faith-based organisations, institutions, Indigenous communities and ‘non-humans’ (multispecies consideration) within the ongoing shift towards a sustainable transition. Love is also a Barrister and Solicitor of Law (Nigeria) and has worked as a parliamentary counsel and a state counsel. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Female lawyers Association of Nigeria (FIDA) and Socio-legal Scholars Association (SLSA).

Mo Esan (events coordinator)

Mo Esan is a second year PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham. Mo has expertise in a number of areas including African Animal Law, Global Animal Law, Public International Law and International Institutional Law. Her qualifications includes an LLB from Babcock University (Nigeria), an LLM in Public International Law from Babcock University (Nigeria), and an LLM in Animal Law from Lewis and Clark Law School (USA). Mo’s PhD combines her expertise in Animal Law and Public International Law by investigating the text, history, and implementation of Africa’s strongest animal protection document. Mo has presented her research at prestigious conferences including UK Comparative Animal Law Workshop, Radboud Conference, Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, UIA Roundtable on International Animal Law, and Rabies in West Africa Conference. Mo has published work on ‘The Challenges of Global Animal Law’ in the Global Journal of Animal Law and on ‘Towards a Nigerian Dogs [Welfare] Act?’ in the International Journal of Business & Law Research. Mo’s passion for teaching and research has also led her to establish a nonprofit aimed at developing curriculums suitable for participating faculties and organisations.

Samuel Hazle (communications coordinator)

Sam Hazle is a third year PhD candidate and Visiting Lecturer in Law at Birmingham City University. Sam conducts research on animal law, intersectionality, and social justice, and teaches on LLB modules including Legal Thinking and Criminal Law. His qualifications include an LLB (Hons) from Newcastle University, and an LLM in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh. Sam’s PhD is a socio-legal research project that critiques the traditional approach of animal law and advocacy and explores the potential for alternative approaches grounded in an intersectional and posthumanist framework inspired by critical animal studies. Sam is publishing a chapter in The Lund Critical Animal Studies Collection II (2026) and recently published a book review in the Journal for International Wildlife Law and Policy (2025).

Claire Lathwell

Claire Lathwell is a Doctoral Researcher in Law at Birmingham City University (BCU). Claire is conducting socio-legal research on animal law and criminal justice. Claire’s research interests also include environmental law, green criminology, 20th century continental philosophy (especially Foucault) and political philosophy. Prior to commencing her doctoral research at BCU in September 2024, Claire spent over 6 years practising environmental, human rights and immigration law as a Solicitor in England and Wales. Claire holds an LLM in Professional Legal Practice and a BA(Hons) degree in Philosophy and Politics.

The Multispecies Collective’s New Members

Our founding members are delighted to collaborate with friendly new faces as we (re)launch and continue working toward multispecies flourishing.

Bethan Smith (membership coordinator)

Bethan Smith is a PhD law student at the University of Birmingham. She is also a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant in law at the University. Bethan’s research focuses on the protection of marine animals, environments, and human culture. Researching animal law, environmental law, biodiversity conservation law, culture, environmental ethics, and critical animal and environmental legal theory. Bethan’s experience specialises in marine animal issues, but includes varied wild, farmed, and domestic animal issues. Working on international and national projects for animal and environmental protection. Bethan’s other experiences include being a researcher, guest writer, and speaker at the UK Animal Law Conference 2025.

Stacy Banwell

Stacy Banwell is Professor of Criminology at the University of Greenwich and a leading scholar in non-speciesist and more-than-human criminology. Her research examines conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence against human and nonhuman animals, the intersections of gender, climate change and atrocity crimes, and multi-species justice in conflict and post-conflict contexts. These themes are central to her two most recent monographs: The War Against Nonhuman Animals: A Non-Speciesist Understanding of Gendered Reproductive Violence and An Intersectional Analysis of Climate Change and Atrocity Crimes: Life on Earth is in Crisis. Her work, which addresses harm experienced by vulnerable and marginalised human and nonhuman groups, has informed policy developments and has been cited by high-level bodies including a U.S. Supreme Court, the United Nations, the UN General Assembly, and the UK Ministry of Justice. As part of the EU Horizon/UKRI project Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Equity, Stacy is currently evaluating sustainability transitions through legal pathways such as rights of nature, ecocide, and restorative justice.

Gray Black

Gray Black is a PhD Candidate in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Black's research on speciesqueer political phenomenology intersects queer ecology, political and social theory, cultural anthropology, as well as science and technology studies. Alongside their affiliation with the Multispecies Collective, Black is also the Administrative and Research Assistant for the Centre for Art and Politics and a Fellow of St Andrews’ Interdisciplinary Postgraduate College. 

Louisa Dassow

Louisa is a Northern Bridge funded PhD candidate at Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University. She researches on critical international environmental law, posthuman feminist theory, and multispecies justice. Building on an understanding of the explicit interconnection between social and environmental injustice, her research applies methods from posthuman, queer, decolonial and intersectional feminist theory to international environmental law and, in particular, the BBNJ Agreement. The use of these methods in relation to international environmental law highlights submerged hierarchies of power, both among humans and between humans and the more-than-human world.

Emily Jones

Dr Emily Jones is a Senior Research Fellow in the Newcastle University Academic Track (NUAcT) programme based in Newcastle Law School. Dr Jones’ interdisciplinary research applies critical theory including feminist, queer, posthuman, postcolonial and critical disability studies, to analyse and re-imagine international law. Her work spans several fields of international law, such as international environmental law, international human rights law, science, technology and international law and gender and conflict, among others.

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