VIRTUAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Research partnerships advancing evidence-informed practice on women in policing.
Start a Research Partnership Today!
Building on the CAN-SEBP Virtual Scholars model launched in December 2021, 30Forward’s Virtual Scholars Program connects Canadian police professionals (sworn or civilian) with academic collaborators to develop and complete applied research focused on women in policing.
How It Works (3 steps)
1) Apply
Submit a research idea or partnership request through the application form.
2) Review + Match
At least two members of the 30Forward Research Advisory Council review submissions for alignment and feasibility, then help identify an appropriate academic collaborator.
3) Complete the Project
Scholar and collaborator work together virtually to design, conduct, present, and (where appropriate) publish the research.
What Happens Once Approved
If approved, the 30Forward Research Advisory Council will contact you to facilitate a match with an academic collaborator. The research team will meet virtually to define scope, timelines, data requirements, ethics considerations, and knowledge mobilization plans. Regular check-ins are encouraged to support steady progress.
30FORWARD VIRTUAL SCHOLARS
Below is a snap-shot of the researchers accessible through this unique program.
Craig Bennell, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Carleton University
Research Interests
Evidence-based policing; police-academic partnerships; police training; police use of force; de-escalation strategies; police responses to community members in crisis; alternative response models for mental health crisis response; public perceptions of the police; public understanding of policing; public education about policing.
Learn more: https://carleton.ca/policeresearchlab/
Kirk Luther, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Carleton University
Research Interests
Police-academic partnerships; police training; investigations; investigative interviewing; legal rights comprehension; trauma; culture; cold cases; adults; youth; vulnerable populations
Learn more: https://carleton.ca/prismlab/
Lorna Ferguson, Ph.D.
Department of Justice Studies
University of Regina
Research Interests
Missing persons; police responses to missing persons; police incident command and leadership; policing critical incidents; gendered experiences of incident command in policing; police technologies; evidence-based policing; police data ceilings; search and rescue in Canada; police–search and rescue volunteer collaboration; occupational stress among police and search and rescue personnel; victimization beyond criminal events; vulnerable populations
Rylan Simpon, Ph.D.
School of Criminology
Simon Fraser University
Research Interests
Police-academic partnerships; policing; perceptions of police; police organizations; police effectiveness; legitimacy; public policy; experimental criminology; theories of crime; social psychology.
Learn more: www.rylansimpson.com
Mary Ann Campbell, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of New Brunswick
Research Interests
Criminal behaviour (youth or adults); risk assessment and case management for violence and general criminality (youth or adults); officer psychological health; management/supervisory practices (organizational justice, psychologically health promoting management practices); police response to mental health calls/crisis and crisis intervention/de-escalation training; police response to intimate partner violence; frontline police interviewing practices and procedural justice; pre-employment selection, speciality unit assessment, and fitness for duty evaluations; emergency tactical teams and responding; use of force decision-making and responses
Learn more: https://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/cpcjr/advisoryboard.html
Chris Giacomantonio, Ph.D.
Sociology and Social Anthropology
Dalhousie University
Research Interests
Police organization, governance, and reform; police training; alternatives to police response; public perceptions of the police; crime clearance rates; social policy and evaluation
Heather Price, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Thomspon Rivers University
Research Interests
Memory evidence; investigative interviewing; cold case investigations; eyewitness identification; Child and Youth Advocacy Centres; child witnesses; interview training; alibi evidence
Learn more: https://child-law-research.trubox.ca/
Nadine Deslauriers-Varin, Ph.D.
School of Social Work and Criminology
Laval University
Research Interests
Police-academic partnerships; criminal investigations and techniques; investigative interviewing; evidence-based policing; sexual, violent, and serial crimes; crime scripts and modus operandi; offender decision-making; situational crime prevention; crime event analysis
Learn more:
https://www.cicc-iccc.org/en/people/regular_researchers/deslauriers-varin
https://www.fss.ulaval.ca/notre-faculte/repertoire-du-personnel/nadine-deslauriers-varin
Adam Vaughan, Ph.D.
Department of Criminology
University of Regina
Research Interests
Policing; mental health; substance use; spatiotemporal analysis of criminal justice interactions with vulnerable populations; wellness of first responders.
Learn more: https://www.uregina.ca/arts/justice-studies/directory/vaughan-a.html
Joseph Eastwood, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Ontario Tech University
Research Interests
Police training; investigative interviewing; legal rights comprehension; older adult interviewing; psychological detention; alibis; persuasion.
Learn more: https://www.alertlab.ca/
Angeal Workman-Stark Ph.D.
Faculty of Business
Athabasca University
Research Interests
Police culture and change; inclusion, belonging and the experiences of women and other marginalized employees; police identity and responses to identity threats; workplace stigma identity management; organizational (in)justice; the manifestation of silence in policing; ethical leadership; the application of generative AI to support supervisor intervention in workplace harassment.
Learn more: https://www.athabascau.ca/business/our-people/angela-workman-stark.html
Logan Ewanation, Ph.D.
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Forensic Psychology
Ontario Tech University
Research Interests
Research interests: perceptions of police; police legitimacy; procedural justice; juror decision-making in trials involving police; investigative interviewing; jurors’ perceptions of disputed confessions
Learn more: https://socialscienceandhumanities.ontariotechu.ca/research/researcher-profiles/dr-logan-ewanation.php
Kirsten Fantazir, Ph.D.
School of Justice Studies
Lethbridge Polytechnic
Research Interests
Police-academic partnerships; police training; police recruitment; vulnerable populations; immersive technologies; public perceptions of the police; police applicants; women in policing; youth engagement
Learn more: https://lethpolytech.ca/departments/centre-for-applied-research-and-innovation/cpsar
Christopher O’Connor
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Ontario Tech University
Research Interests
Citizen attitudes toward police; police technology and data usage; police interactions with the public and investigations; volunteer police and community engagement; police use of social media, facial recognition, AI, and drones.
Kathryne Dupré, PhD
Department of Psychology
Carleton University
Research Interests
Occupational health and employee well-being; healthy and sustainable work; workplace harassment, discrimination, and exclusion; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; women’s health and well-being at work; work–family dynamics and caregiving; vulnerable and underserved workers; leadership and organizational support; psychological health in the workplace; workplace relationships and social support
Hina Kalyal, Ph.D.
Hill Levene School of Business,
University of Regina
Research Interests
Dr. Kalyal’s research focuses on enhancing organizational effectiveness, with particular emphasis on evidence-based policing, the evaluation of police recruitment and training systems, equity, diversity, and inclusion in policing, and the management of organizational and cultural change within police services.
Area of Expertise
Organizational Culture, Change Management, Implicit Bias, Recruitment and retention, Training
And More!
30Forward Virtual Scholar Application
However, we continue to welcome research ideas and project concepts from policing professionals, researchers, and community partners. Submissions received through the form below will be added to the 30Forward project repository for consideration in future Virtual Scholar Program opportunities and potential research collaborations.
Please complete the form below to share your idea.