Lethbridge College has named Dr. Kirsten Fantazir as its first President’s Applied Research Chair in Public Safety. Fantazir, along with partners, will work to find gaps within the public safety industry in Canada.
The new position stems from the development of the School of Justice Studies’ (SJS) five-year applied research plan for the Public Safety Applied Research Initiative (PSARI). After thorough consultations, faculty and administration will be focusing on innovation in public safety, community partnerships, wellness initiatives, and organizational structure and culture. The plan and its implementation will also be based on significant reconciliation, as well as collaboration with Indigenous partners and organizations.
“We want to be responsive to the public safety industry, specifically to inform evidence-based practices in the field,” says Fantazir. “There’s a lot of information and data out there; however, one of the challenges we often have is how can we use this information to help our partners make well-informed decisions and policies. Building bridges between academia and industry to apply research findings and theories in the field is something I’ve always been interested in as a researcher. I’m excited to work strategically with our partners to help solve current challenges and problems and share those successes with other organizations.”
In addition to the creation of Fantazir’s position, the college Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) will be seeking federal funding, making way for the expansion of the college’s research field.
“Expanding our research activities in the Centre for Justice and Human Services aligns with our college’s strategic priorities, as well as the priorities of the Alberta 2030 report,” says Dr. Kenny Corscadden, Lethbridge College Vice President – Research and Partnerships. “Dr. Fantazir’s work in this role will directly support the Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts program and create opportunities to strengthen our industry partnerships, leading to increased opportunities for students and faculty members. It is exciting to have someone with Kirsten’s expertise and experience leading our expansion in this important research area.”
Fantazir has been involved with the college since 2003, and has been a member of the SJS faculty since 2010.