D. Scharie Tavcer

Dr. D. Scharie Tavcer is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary, Alberta. With over 20 years of teaching experience since 2004, she specializes in criminology, sociology, human rights, and psychology with a particular focus on gender-based violence and social justice issues. Dr. Tavcer holds a PhD and has received significant recognition for her teaching excellence, including the 2020 Faculty of Arts Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2019 MacEwan University Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Tavcer's research expertise centers on sexual violence, consent education, women's experiences within the criminal justice system, and feminist perspectives on crime. She has conducted extensive research on sexual consent education across Canadian post-secondary institutions, leading to the development of the Consent 101 online module. Her current research includes The TikTok Study, which explores how survivors use social media to name perpetrators of gender-based violence. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential learning and community service components, with a focus on challenging students' perspectives through what she calls 'popping bubbles' to broaden their understanding of social injustices.

Dr. Tavcer is the author of multiple influential publications including the third edition of Women and the Criminal Justice System: A Canadian Perspective (2023), Sexual Violence Policies and Sexual Consent Education at Canadian PSIs (2023), and Canadian Criminal Law and the Criminal Code (2023). Her research consistently addresses the unchanging prevalence of sexual violence over the past 30 years and seeks innovative approaches to reduce victimization and potential perpetration. She teaches courses including Crisis Intervention and serves as a second reader for theses/projects for CPC 695/696 at MRU.

Her scholarly work has been recognized through multiple awards and has significantly contributed to policy discussions around sexual violence prevention on Canadian campuses. Dr. Tavcer is particularly passionate about creating safe classroom environments where students feel comfortable exploring controversial topics related to sexual violence, mental illness, and addiction. She emphasizes the importance of inspiring students to critically question their positions and consider multiple perspectives, particularly those of victims, offenders, and marginalized communities.