The Brock community is mourning the loss of Brianne Formoso (BA ’24), a master’s student in the Critical Sociology program who passed away on July 25.

Formoso worked in the community supporting survivors of sexual violence through the Niagara Sexual Assault Centre and was known for her love of animals and dedication to animal rescues.

Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology Julie Ham, who was supervising Formoso’s graduate research project on restorative justice and 2SLGBTQIA+ survivors of sexual violence, says Formoso was “an indelible part” of her student cohort with a strong influence on the collective character of the group.

“Brianne had a non-traditional return to academia, and she brought a lot of insights from her activism and her previous career into our conversations,” Ham says. “She wanted to speak across activist and academic spheres, and it was exciting to see a new scholar carefully building a foundation for an academic career that was grounded in a firm activist ethos.”

Associate Professor Mary-Beth Raddon, who served as Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminology while Formoso completed her undergraduate degree, remembers her as a valued member of the department’s community, both as a student and as a teaching assistant (TA).

“She was a skillful TA who often supported students with disabilities in their need for academic accommodations,” says Raddon. “Her dedication to the TA role was an expression of the value she placed on accessible education.”

Formoso was also well known on campus for serving as a member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Diversity (PACHRED).

Professor Maureen Connolly, Chair of PACHRED’s Anti-Ableism and Mental Health Working Group, worked with Formoso on that committee following the COVID-19 pandemic and remembers her for her “nuanced sense of the overlapping and intersected nature of oppression.”

“She was a strong committee member — collaborative, supportive, emotionally generous, passionate and compassionate, and committed,” says Connolly. “Rights-based issues really motivated her and animated a lot of what she did, and she was committed to being educated in her field. She was a good University citizen, and a delight to work with. She will be missed.”

Friends and colleagues from the Brock community are welcome to attend a Celebration of Life on Sunday, Sept. 6 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Ravine Vineyards, located at 1366 York Road in St. David’s, Ont.