Dr. Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D., serves as a Professor and Founding Director of the Institute
for Youth and Justice Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Pavelka earned
her Ph.D. in Public Administration with a specialization in Justice Policy from Florida
Atlantic University. Her dissertation, Practice to Policy to Management: A Restorative
Justice Framework, is seminal work in the restorative justice discipline with a focus
on system reform and policy implementation of restorative justice nationally. She
holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University and
a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Florida.
Dr. Pavelka is the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the Lois Haight
Award of Excellence and Innovation from the U.S. Congressional Crime Survivors and
Justice Caucus, the National Points of Light Award, the National Association of Community
and Restorative Justice Research Award, and the Women in Business APEX Award from
the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Pavelka is a frequent speaker and author, with numerous publications, books, and
conference presentations. In addition to her academic and policy work, she is an internationally
recognized expert in restorative justice, youth policy, politics, and justice reform.
Dr. Pavelka as serves as a prominent Political and Justice Analyst across national,
state, and local media platforms. She co-chairs the Girls Coordinating Council of
Southwest Florida and is actively engaged in service through organizations, including
the PACE Center for Girls (founding board member) and the Circuit 20 Juvenile Justice
Advisory Board (former chair), among others.
-
Education
Toggle Education
- 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
-
Specialties
Toggle Specialties
- Restorative justice
- Juvenile justice
- American politics and elections
- Public policy
- Program evaluation
- Gender responsive programming
- Justice Policy
-
Courses Offered
Toggle Courses OfferedGraduate 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
-
Publications
Toggle Publications
Select Publications
Books
- The Power of Her: Women Shaping Politics and Society. Pavelka, S. and H. Reynolds. Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2026.
- 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.
-
Conference Presentations
Toggle Conference Presentations
Select Conference Presentations
- “Public Perceptions of Environmental Governance: Comparing National Performance in
the United States and United Kingdom,” European Group for Public Administration Annual
Conference, Rome, Italy, August 25-28, 2026.
- “Restorative Justice in Criminal Legal Systems: An International Comparative Analysis,”
European Group for Public Administration, Annual Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, August
26-29, 2025.
- “Perceptions of Environmental Governance: International Perspectives of Government
Performance,” European Group for Public Administration Annual Conference, Glasgow,
Scotland, August 26-29, 2025.
- "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 & Awards
Toggle Grants & Awards
Awards
- Research Award, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice, 2026
- 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
Service
FGCU Service
- Faculty Senate
- College of Arts and Sciences College Governance Team, Chair
Professional Service
- Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida, Chair
- Girls Coordinating Council of Southwest Florida, Chair
- National Association of Community and Restorative Justice, Law & Policy Committee,
Chair
- PACE Center for Girls–Lee, Advisory Board
- Political Analyst, Television, Print, Web Media
- The Peace Alliance, Senior Advisor for Restorative Justice
- Restorative Justice on the Rise, Senior Adviser
- U.S. Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus, Advisory Committee
