Stephanie Cyr

Stephanie Cyr is a Faculty Lecturer of Personal Defense at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and the ESD Global Program Manager. She specializes in violence prevention education, trauma-informed workshops, and empowerment self-defense (ESD). Her roles include membership in the SFSU Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition and collaboration with the Health Promotion & Wellness office and SAFE Place. She consults with the San Francisco Unified School District and co-develops self-defense curricula. Additionally, she serves as a Senior Facilitator at PAVE Prevention and a Board Advisor to ESD Global, Inc.

Education:

• Juris Doctor with Honor, University of Maryland School of Law
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science, Rutgers University
• Public Leadership Studies, Harvard University Continuing Education

Her research focuses on integrating legal, martial arts, and trauma-informed approaches to violence prevention. She authored The Weekly Edge and Moves of the Day, and her work spans international collaborations to advance ESD research. Stephanie is a certified Health Coach and practices over 30 years of martial arts across disciplines including Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Krav Maga.

Advising and Grants: Stephanie collaborates internationally to develop accredited ESD programs but no specific grants are mentioned. Her advocacy extends to supporting survivors of gender-based violence through the Joyful Heart Foundation.

Labs/Teams: Edge Self Defense, ESD Global, and PAVE Prevention.