I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and completed my undergraduate studies at University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA) with a double major in psychology and philosophy. I have always been passionate about outdoor sports and grew up skiing, trail-running, and hiking in the Utah mountains. In recent years, I have become an avid rock climber, spending most of my free time climbing outside in Squamish BC, and mentoring others in the sport through various outdoor organizations.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

The clinical psychology program at Simon Fraser University is well-known for its excellent training. I was immediately attracted to the quality of education I would receive, and was excited about the prospect of working under the mentorship of my current senior supervisor, Kevin S. Douglas, LL.B, PhD, who is a world renowned expert in the field of psychopathy and violence risk assessment. The fact that Vancouver is a beautiful city, and that Squamish was just an hour away was icing on the cake. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH AND/OR PROGRAM.

Broadly speaking, my research interests are in the area of psychopathy, violence risk assessment, and criminal behavior. More specifically, I am interested in the assessment of violent behavior and psychopathic personality across diverse groups. My dissertation research seeks to explore the impact of ethnicity, age, and gender on psychopathy assessment, and determine how to adapt current measurement instruments to make them more suitable across a wider range of experience and background

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I find the clinical training experiences at SFU to be outstanding. The knowledge base and passion of the professors, and the practicum opportunities available to Clinical Forensic students are without a doubt some of the strongest points of the program. In addition, I find the atmosphere at SFU to be engaging, motivating, and progressive, a quality that can be difficult to find in other places.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM/POSTDOC POSITION TO SOMEONE STILL SEARCHING FOR A PROGRAM OR POSTDOC POSITION?

The Clinical Psychology program at SFU is outstanding--especially for students who are seeking forensic training. The forensic faculty at SFU is comprised of leading scholars in the field, and the training opportunities afforded to students rank among the best in North America. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS?

If you are passionate about it, go for it and don't compromise (this applies to everything, not just academic interests).

Contact Katherine: khanniba@sfu.ca