2021 is a year of firsts for BC’s former chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office Richard Rosenthal ̶ he’s earned his PhD in criminology, became certified as a fire truck operator, gotten engaged, and begun his new consulting career to help establish civilian oversight offices in the U.S.
After years of training, persistence, hard work, and many late nights, Kristen Tsai, Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology alumnus, proudly represented Canada at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
Tijil Garg, Simon Fraser University School of Criminology undergraduate transfer student, eagerly awaits this fall’s safe, equitable and supportive return to campus. With carefully developed guidance documents, safety plans, mental health tools, and other important resources, SFU is ready to welcome students back.
Interested in legal studies? Committed to law and service? Thinking about pursuing a career as a British Columbia Notary Public? Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology has the perfect program for you.
Arshpreet Dhillon, who convocated in June 2021, believes her involvement in the community paired with her curiosity and willingness to ask questions, created a pleasant and successful undergraduate career for her at SFU.
SFU Criminology assistant professor Rylan Simpson was recently featured as Simon Fraser University's Scholarly Impact of the Week, as his findings are helping police leaders make evidence-based decisions about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.
Colin Schuler Ram, Simon Fraser University School of Criminology undergraduate student, graduating in June 2021, is a four-time recipient of the SFU Dean’s Honour Roll, a two-time recipient of the SFU President’s Honour Roll, a seven-time recipient of an Open Scholarship, a two-time recipient of the Criminology Student Association Community Service Award, and a nominee for the Dean’s Convocation Medal (Silver)!
Kaitlyn Richards, well-known as the president of Simon Fraser University’s Criminology Student Association (CSA) for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, is graduating from SFU with a shining and positive legacy.
Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology proudly highlights two exhibitors and their hard work at the April 13th, 2021, Innovations in Research event: Sydney Brown, SFU Criminology graduate student, and Jake Castro, SFU Criminology alumnus.
Michaela M. McGuire (Jaad Gudgihljiwah), of the G̲aag'yals K̲iiG̲awaay, citizen of the Haida Nation, and PhD student in the School of Criminology, and Lecturer Danielle J. Murdoch, have recently co-published a journal article in Punishment & Society. Using a decolonial framework in their research, McGuire and Murdoch center the voices and experiences of Indigenous women, as well as look at how they have come to be overrepresented in Canada’s federal correctional system.
With extensive experience in her career as an academic advisor, Morgan Jeffery has developed a rapport with students in playing a pivotal role by helping students make sound career choices to pursue their dream career.
Academic Advisor and Recruiter Gabriel Sauro has been much more than an advisor for the School of Criminology students. He has been a mentor and friend, helping undergraduates navigate the road to degree completion and sort through various career opportunities since 2006.
The pandemic threw a wrench in Ivana Zdjelar’s graduation celebration. “It wasn’t quite the graduation I had planned, but it turned out better than I could have even imagined,” she says.
Criminology graduate Nicole Raschella planned to celebrate getting her BA with a holiday in Cancun, Mexico. That, obviously, is not going to happen. Instead, she’ll settle for a celebratory dinner in Vancouver with family and a few friends.
A Japanese Maple tree has been planted to commemorate the many contributions of Professor Emeritus Simon Verdun-Jones. “With the admiration, affection and gratitude of your colleagues and students in the School of Criminology” - ancora imparo
Karmvir Padda is thriving in her studies while making the most of the opportunities that she gets to be involved in provided at SFU.
Sydney Brown is ready to devote herself to creating change within the Canadian justice system as a lawyer after emerging from a winding road of new experiences.
The forensic science specialization in criminology helped Madelaine explore the relationship between science and law and eventually leading to finding her passion for biological explanations of crime and finally completing an honours thesis on the topic.
The Criminology Honours program helped identify Jake’s direction and research interests in his academic journey. Jake is a recent honours graduate with a major in Criminology and minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies.
Criminology had always held an interest for me, but one class would give me the push to switch majors in the Summer of 2016.
Simon Fraser University was my school of choice because it offers a broad range of topics in the field and it is considered one of the best schools of criminology in the country.
Xilonen Hanson Pastran came to SFU intent on understanding the relationship between justice and law in Canada. The SFU Criminology grad is now committed to using her education to enact social change through law reform.
"The quality of the faculty, classes and honours program has made my experience positive," she says. "I have grown both academically and professionally, and although I don't have all the answers about my future, I do know that if I want to pursue academia as a profession, the skills and knowledge I have gained at SFU will be invaluable."
After the passing of her mother—a prosecutor in Calgary who always encouraged her daughter to attend SFU—Desaulniers knew that a change would be necessary if she were ever to make her dreams come true. Using her mother’s strong work ethic as a model, she began to turn her life around.
“During my first criminology class, I remember hearing stories of the research done at SFU, but not giving them much credence at the time,” she says. “Years later, when I did want to pursue criminology, the first school that came to mind was Simon Fraser University. There was no other option. It was SFU or nothing.”
Zakimi braves the 24-hour news cycle to examine how political extremism begins online and spreads throughout Canada. So far, her research has revealed an excess in right-wing extremist messages on Canadian social media platforms, recognizing the easy access to large audiences that the Internet offers.
Fourth-year criminology student Manprit Badyal is opening career doors before his degree is even finished. Last term, Badyal completed a work practicum at one of Vancouver’s downtown criminal law firms, MN Law, where he was able to get a glimpse into the inner workings of a legal career.
Throughout her time at Simon Fraser University (SFU), criminology student Natasha Dubyk has always known that she would work in the criminal justice field. Narrowing down her interests, though, was a different story. Through SFU’s Criminology Field Practice Program, Dubyk achieved some clarity about her career goals while gaining professional work experience.
Criminology PhD student Vienna Lam has been shortlisted as a top 75 finalist in the 11th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, in recognition of her forensic research, and volunteer work to help make science education more accessible to underserved communities. Lam's extensive research on drowning prevention and aquatic body recovery with the Centre for Forensic Research has earned her industry-wide recognition—ranking her 8th in the nation for her discipline.
The School of Criminology’s field practice program enables students to integrate valuable work experience with academic learning. The program, taken either part-time or full-time, places a student with a criminology or criminal justice sector organization.We interviewed Field Practice Coordinator Helene Love, lecturer in the School of Criminology, to learn more about what students should expect from the field practice program.
University lecturer Sheri Fabian offers three gifts to her students and colleagues: opportunity, personal growth and an understanding of both the privilege and obligations that accompany teaching and learning. These exceptional contributions earned her a 2019 3M National Teaching Fellowship and an invitation to join its prestigious cohort devoted to the art of teaching. The fellowship is awarded by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Assistant Professor Zachary Rowan studies the role of deviant peer influence and how interaction with the criminal justice system influences youth. Based on data from the Crossroads Study, his research finds that youth’s friendship networks become criminalized or more criminalized as a result of formal processing within the juvenile justice system. This supports prior criminological research that shows criminal justice contact amplifies youth’s deviant behavior through changes in peer networks.
Professionals at all levels of the criminal justice system make decisions that impact offenders. Assistant Professor Maaike Helmus develops tools, called offender risk assessment scales, to ensure these decisions meet empirically guided principles. This ensures more accurate, transparent and fair decisions for offenders. She also delivers risk assessment training internationally to ensure proper use of these scales.
Does receiving the label of deviant increase a youth’s antisocial behaviour? Criminologist Stephanie Wiley’s research on middle and high school age adolescents confirms that youth who interact with the criminal justice system are more likely to continue with deviant behaviour.