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Law and Forensic Psychology doctoral student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

My name is Eva Ribbers and I am joining ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as a PhD student in the Psychology Department after having worked in academia in England for a couple of years, where I initially moved to pursue an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Psychology. I have recently moved back to Vancouver and have since been working remotely for a Toronto based company as a Research Scientist in Public Safety, but I am originally from the Netherlands, where I completed a BA at the University of Maastricht with an exchange at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. My interests centre around legal psychology, eyewitness identification evidence, international criminal justice, and the prevention of wrongful convictions.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?

I spoke to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV staff, alumni, and current students about the practice informed curriculum at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and considered the strength of the (Law & Forensic) Psychology program, which convinced me that pursuing doctoral research at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV would help advance my professional career, which I foresee at the crossroad of academia and implementation. Additionally, I was confident that my intended supervisor Dr Ryan Fitzgerald was a great fit given his eyewitness identification research expertise and because of previous positive experience working as a Research Associate on one of his projects in England. In short, I decided that pursuing the next stage of my academic journey at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV allows me to chase my ambition in an environment in which I will receive support, gain valuable skills, and will have the time and resources required to successfully conduct doctoral research.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

There is almost nothing more convincing than a witness who takes the stand, points a finger, and says ‘That is the one!’. The problem is that these witnesses often get in wrong. There are plenty of misconceptions about the reliability of eyewitness identification evidence, even though there is academic agreement that this type of evidence is often unreliable. In fact, DNA exonerations by the Innocence Project in the United States revealed that eyewitness identification errors are one of the main causes of miscarriages of justice. This is a problem, and if we continue to rely on existing trial safeguards we risk damaging the legitimacy of criminal justice institutions. I think psychology has a role to play in preventing this, but this raises questions on how research can inform policy or procedures that prevent or reduce the impact of eyewitness misidentification in court. This is what my research focuses on.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?

I am starting in the Spring 2023 term, so I will find out soon! At the moment I look forward to taking the Seminar in Law and Psychology on Miscarriages of Justice.

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.

Yes, I have been awarded the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship ($80,000), which has been instrumental in helping me decide to take the leap to pursue a doctorate. Additionally, I have been awarded the Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship (SGES) ($2000) and the Graduate Fellowship (GF) ($7000) by ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, which is greatly appreciated as well and helps cover my tuition fees.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM/POSTDOC POSITION TO SOMEONE STILL SEARCHING FOR A PROGRAM OR POSTDOC POSITION?

Ask me in a couple of months!

Contact Eva: eva_ribbers@sfu.ca

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