People
Dr. Sandra Pavelka
Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D., serves as founding Director of the Institute for Youth and Justice Studies and as an Associate Professor of Public Affairs, College of Professional Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Pavelka previously served as the founding Director of the Center for Public and Social Policy at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Dr. Pavelka served as the Senior Research Associate with the Community Justice Institute at Florida Atlantic University. She was also the Project Administrator of the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) Project funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. She continues to serve as a consultant on the BARJ Project.
Prior to her appointment at Florida Atlantic University, she served as the Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Youth Policy at Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center. In this position, she administered the Florida and National Juvenile Detention Initiatives funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and served as research director for the Center.
Dr. Pavelka received her Ph.D. in Public Administration (2000) with a specialization in Justice Policy from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida. Her dissertation, Practice to Policy to Management: A Restorative Justice Framework, focused on system reform and policy implementation of restorative justice nationally. She holds a Master of Public Administration (1989) from Florida Internationally University in Miami, Florida and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science – 1985) from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Pavelka’s interests include: public policy, juvenile justice, community and restorative justice, and program evaluation. Dr. Pavelka serves on the Peer Review Board for the International Journal of Restorative Justice
Administrative Structure
Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D., Director
Tony Barringer, Ph.D., Senior Faculty Associate
MaryAnn Zager, Ph.D., Senior Faculty Associate
Lesley Medley, School Accountability Board Coordinator
Tyrone Martin, Juvenile Assessment Center Intern Emeritus
Melissa Smith, Juvenile Assessment Center Intern
Laura Gibson, Graduate Assistant
Araceli Gomez, Research Assistant
Institute Advisory Board Members
Marshall Bower, Esq., The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc., Chair
Kathy Smith, Esq., Public Defender, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida, Vice-Chair
The Honorable David Aronberg, State Senator, State of Florida
Judge Lauren Brodie, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida
Dr. James Browder, Lee County District Schools
Frank Busbee, Circuit Manager, Department of Juvenile Justice
Amity Chandler, Charlotte County Alliance for a Safe and Drug Free Community
The Honorable John Davenport, Sheriff, Charlotte County
The Honorable Don Hunter, Sheriff, Collier County - Capt. Tim Guerrette, designee
The Honorable Ray Judah, Commissioner, Lee County
Alan Korest, Community Activist
Chief Steve Moore, FGCU University Police Dept.
Sheriff Mike Scott, Lee County Sheriff’s Office - Capt. Bill Byrus, designee
Judge James Seals, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida
The Honorable Trudi Williams, State Representative, State of Florida
In Memory of Dennis Maloney, Our Colleague, Our Friend
