Rate My Professor Sandra Pavelka

Pavelka's research specializations include restorative justice, juvenile justice policy, public policy, and program evaluation. At FGCU, she founded and directed the Institute for Youth and Justice Studies from February 2005 to May 2017, directing research grants, technical assistance projects on youth development, juvenile justice, education, and community restorative justice, coordinating public policy forums, supervising personnel, and conducting data collection and analysis. She also directed the Center for Public and Social Policy from December 2001 to January 2005. Her major publications encompass co-edited books such as "The Legacy of Community Justice" (2013) and "International Perspectives on Restorative Justice in Education" (2011), as well as peer-reviewed articles including "A Restorative Justice Intervention in United States Prisons: Implications of Intervention Timing, Age, and Gender on Recidivism" with K.A. Richner and D. McChargue (International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2022), "The Evolution of Balanced and Restorative Justice" with D. Thomas (Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 2019), and "Restorative Justice in the States: An Analysis of Statutory Legislation and Policy" (Justice Policy Journal, 2016). Pavelka has received key awards such as the Distinguished Service Award and Leadership and Service Award from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (2021), National Points of Light Award (2016), and FGCU Student Government McTarnaghan Teaching Award (2015).