• Ph.D. Public Administration, Specialization Justice Policy, Florida Atlantic University
  Dissertation Practice to Policy to Management: A Restorative Justice Framework
• MPA Master of Public Administration, Florida International University
• B.A. Political Science, University of Florida
  
  

• Restorative justice
• Juvenile justice
• American politics and elections
• Public policy
• Program evaluation
• Gender responsive programming

Graduate Courses
Graduate Faculty designee

• PAD 5933: Proposal Writing and Grant Administration
• PAD 6327: Seminar in Program Planning and Evaluation
• PAD 6708: Research Methods and Analysis
• PAD 6812: State and Local Government Administration

Undergraduate Courses

• CCJ 3666: Victimology
• CCJ 4662: Minorities and Crime
• CCJ 4663: Female Crime
• CCJ 4933: Special Topics – Restorative Justice
• CJC 4310: Methods of Offender Treatment
• CJJ 4015: Juvenile Justice System
• IDH 4638C: Freedom to Serve - Honors
• IDS 3302: Issues in Politics and Economics
• POS 2041: American National Government
• POS 2112: State and Local Government Administration
• POS 3272: Politics and the Citizen
• POS 3691: Law Politics and Society
• POS 4064: Intergovernmental Relations
• POS 4072: Women in Politics and Government
• POS 4152: Urban Politics and Problems
• POS 4232: Proposal Writing and Grant Administration
• POS 4734: Research Methods and Analysis in Political Science
• PUP 4930: Special Topics in Political Science Policy – Restorative Justice Policy
• PUP 3040: State and Local Public Policy

Select Publications

Books

• Restorative Justice in Legal Systems, Education and Community: Reflections on What Works, Where We can Grow and What’s Next. Editors: Pavelka S. and A. Seymour, JKP Publishing, 2024.
• The Legacy of Community Justice. Editors: Pavelka, S., A. Seymour, B. Stuart. Kanata, ON: J Charlton Publishing Ltd, 2013.
• International Perspectives on Restorative Justice in Education. Editors: Charlton, J., S. Pavelka, and P.J. Verrecchia. Kanata, ON: J Charlton Publishing Ltd, 2011.

Peer Reviewed Publications

• Richner, K.A., S. Pavelka, and D. McChargue, “A Restorative Justice Intervention in United States Prisons: Implications of Intervention Timing, Age, and Gender on Recidivism,” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2022.
• McChargue, D., S. Pavelka and J. Kennedy, “Restorative Justice Interventions,” Corrections Today, a publication of the American Correctional Association, Nov/Dec 2020.
• S. Pavelka and D. Thomas, “The Evolution of Balanced and Restorative Justice,” Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 70(1), 2019.
• Pavelka, S. and A. Seymour, “Guiding Principles for Restorative Justice and Victims,” Corrections Today, a publication of the American Correctional Association, Jan/Feb 2019.
• Pavelka, S., “Restorative Justice in the States: A National Assessment of Legislation and Policy,” Justice Policy Journal, 13(2), 2016.
• Pavelka, S. and D. Thomas, “Performance Measurement in Juvenile Justice: Developing and Implementing Model Reporting Systems," Perspectives. 40(1), 2016.
• Pavelka, S., “Practices and Policies for Implementing Restorative Justice within Schools,” The Prevention Researcher, 20(1), 2013.

Select Conference Presentations

• "Restorative Justice Law and Policy Plenary Panel,” National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Washington, DC, July 29-August 1, 2024.
• “Legislative Perspectives in Criminal and Legal Systems: Law, Policy and Advocacy in American States,” National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Washington, DC, July 29-August 1, 2024.
• "Recidivism, Emotional Empathy, Adverse Childhood Events, and Emotion Management Skills of Released Prisoners who Participated in a Brief Restorative Justice Intervention,” International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Sydney, Australia, June 20-22 2023.
• “Restorative Justice Lawmaking and Legal System Reform,” National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Chicago, IL, July 7-9, 2022.
• “Advocating for All: The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Incarceration,” Plenary Session, National Center for Victims of Crime National Conference, Atlanta, GA, October 6, 2021.
• “Guiding Principles for Restorative Justice and Victims and Survivors,” National Center for Victims of Crime National Conference, Atlanta, GA, October 7, 2021.
• “Restorative Justice in the US: An Analysis of Statutory Legislation and Policy,” Keynote Speaker, RJ World E-Conference, August 22-31, 2020.
• “Community Justice: Community Engaged Criminal Justice Reform,” RJ World E-Conference, August 22-31, 2020.
• “Balanced and Restorative Justice’s 30 Year Evolution: Where It Began, How It Developed, and Where It Might Be Going,” National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, July 28-31, 2019.
• “NACRJ Law and Policy Initiative: Planning for Advocacy,” National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Denver, CO, June 14-16, 2019.
• “Gender Responsive Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation,” All About Girls Summit, Orlando, FL, March 7-8, 2019.
• “Gender Responsive Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation,” All About Girls Summit, Orlando, FL, March 22-23, 2018.
• “Strategies to Address Juvenile Crime and Wrongdoing: A Restorative Justice Approach,” National Symposium on Juvenile Services, Orlando, FL, October 9, 2017.
• “Restorative Justice in the States: An Analysis of Statutory Legislation and Policy,” National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Oakland, CA, June 16-18, 2017.

Grants:

• Justice for Families Project
  • American Rescue Plan Act
  • Lee County, FL/United Way
  • Subcontract through Abuse Counseling Treatment, Inc. (Total award amount $400,000)
  • July 2022 – present
  • Funded amount: $57,048.
• Ft. Myers Reentry Initiative
  • Principal Investigator/Evaluator
  • US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
  • Subcontract through City of Ft. Myers Police Department (Total award amount $1 million)
  • January 2019 – present
  • Funded Amount: $ 182,412.

• Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse (CJMHSA) Planning Grant

  • Principal Investigator
  • Florida Department of Children and Families
  • Subcontract through Lee County, FL (Total award amount $100,000)
  • September 2023 - present
  · Funded amount: $100,000.

Awards

• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
• Distinguished Leadership and Service Award, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, 2021
• Leadership and Service Award, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, 2017
• National Points of Light Award, 2016
• McTarnaghan Teaching Award, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2015
• Lois Haight Award of Excellence and Innovation, Congressional Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus, 2023
• Women in Business APEX Award, Greater Ft. Myers Chamber of Commerce, 2024