Kaitlin Wannamaker

Background

About Kaitlin Wannamaker

As a PhD4 student in Sociology (Quantitative-Stream) at McGill University, my doctoral work investigates the intersections of welfare state policy & administration and social inequality. Using quantitative methods to combine longitudinal cross-national welfare state policy analyses with community-engaged case studies, my research aims to reimagine how we understand and implement universal social policies for improved social policy outcomes. My authored & co-authored works have been published in the Canadian Journal of Sociology, Social Science & Medicine, the British Journal of Sociology, and AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, My 2024 co-authored paper titled "The Revolution Next Door"(with David Calnitsky) was awarded the "2025 BJS Best Paper Prize" during the 2025 BJS Annual lecture in London, UK. This prize is granted biennially to a paper deemed by the journal as an "outstanding contribution to sociological knowledge". In addition to my academic experience, I have gained professional experience working as a Sociologist/Economist with Statistics Canada's Health Analysis & Modelling Division (HAMD). During this time, I utilized linked census and tax data to examine Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefit uptake patterns and financial supports for vulnerable Canadian senior populations, including detailed demographic and immigration status analyses.