Dr. Diane Crockers is a Professor in the Department of Criminology and Acting Associate Dean of Arts, Curriculum and Student Affairs
As a national leader in criminology and restorative justice research, Dr. Diane Crocker is transforming how our communities address gender-based violence. She is widely recognized for her innovation in bringing together diverse partners to design practical solutions for complex social issues. Her collaborative approach connects academia, government and community groups, centering the voices of survivors in policy and program improvements.
Research with meaningful community impact is at the heart of Dr. Crocker’s work. She is a current member of the Research Nova Scotia-funded project CIRCLES-NS (Creating Integrated Restorative Communities for Locally Engaged Solutions). She was a co-investigator with the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative and a member of the Policy and Research Advisory Board for the Mass Casualty Commission, the independent public inquiry created to provide recommendations to help keep communities safer in the aftermath of Nova Scotia’s mass casualty in April 2020.
With support from a team of student and community-based researchers, Dr. Crocker led an evaluation of Nova Scotia’s provincial action plan, Standing Together to Prevent Domestic Violence. She participates in the national effort iMPACTS: Collaborations to Address Sexual Violence on Campus, and works closely with Nova Scotia’s universities to develop effective sexual violence prevention and response policies. Her co-edited book, Violence Interrupted: Confronting Sexual Violence on University Campuses (MQUP, 2020), provides a collection of essays on research related to campus sexual violence in Canada. She has authored the book Crime in Canada (OUP, 2012) and many book chapters, journal articles and over 80 research and policy reports commissioned by government and community organizations.
She has received significant research funding, securing nearly 50 grants and research contracts, many in partnership with federal and provincial government departments. Dr. Crocker is a research partner with PREVNET: Canada's Healthy Relationship Hub and she holds a research fellowship at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research in New Brunswick. She is a research associate with the Restorative Research, Innovation and Education Lab at the Schulich School of Law and a member of Justice Canada’s Advisory Committee for the National Restorative Justice Research Network. She has also advised the Department of National Defence and organizations as far away as Australia’s National Office for Child Safety.
Dr. Crocker is considered an essential ally in the work to eradicate gender-based violence. With Bridgewater’s Be the Peace Institute, she has helped amplify survivors’ voices through projects like Pathways to Justice and Voices of (In)Justice, promoting trauma-informed and restorative responses. Her collaboration with Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) has enhanced public safety by improving reintegration supports for individuals transitioning from incarceration.
As an educator and mentor, Dr. Crocker has supervised more than 25 honours and graduate students and trains early-stage researchers and community volunteers, fostering future leaders in community-engaged scholarship. In 2018, she received the President’s Award for Exemplary Service, having served on numerous committees and initiatives at Saint Mary’s, such as the Research Ethics Board and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Advisory Committee.
Dr. Crocker holds both a PhD and MA in Sociology from York University and a BA in Anthropology from Memorial University. Since joining Saint Mary’s in 2000, she has held increasingly senior academic roles, including Associate Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (2013-2018), Chair of the Department of Criminology (2019-2024), and currently Associate Dean of Arts, Curriculum and Student Affairs.
The President’s Award for Excellence in Research honours continued exceptional contributions to research and scholarship conducted by a full-time Saint Mary’s University faculty member. More information can be found at smu.ca/fgsr/presidents-award.