August Skrudland

Criminology master's student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I grew up in Saskatchewan and completed my honours degree in sociology at the University of Saskatchewan. I have always been interested in criminology as most of my family has worked in law enforcement and corrections. I believe criminology, as an academic discipline, is an important field, as the knowledge we produce can have a positive and longstanding impact on society. As a result, I am inspired to learn and continue in this field to help create a more effective, fair, and just criminal justice system.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

I credit my decision to attend SFU to the work of Prof. Eric Beauregard, a leading criminologist on sexual violence and homicide. I am honoured to have the opportunity to work and learn under his supervision. More generally, I chose SFU because of its outstanding reputation for criminological research and innovation. The School of Criminology here at SFU hosts many of the world's leading scholars in criminology, providing an environment conducive to research and teaching excellence.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

My research involves understanding the nature of violent offending. Specifically, my research includes highlighting the individual and situational characteristics that affect the decision making of sexually violent offenders throughout the course of an offence. By doing so, I hope to better assist law enforcement in their investigations of sexually motivated crimes. Additionally, I am interested in the development of statistical tools that can help law enforcement better predict outcomes in crisis situations.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Sexual violence; offender decision making; evidence based practices

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

My courses have contributed to my academic development by emphasizing that, in order to make sense of the data we collect in the social sciences, we require a strong theoretical foundation. As theory is pivotal for identifying and challenging our taken-for-granted assumptions about the social world, it is the bedrock of a solid research design. Professionally, my TA-ship experience challenges me to learn the particulars of course development and facilitation. Having faculty in the School of Criminology dedicated to training graduate students to become effective educators is an invaluable tool, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work and learn alongside many great instructors.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

SSHRC CGSM Award.

Contact August:august_skrudland@sfu.ca