About Our Team
Before we delve into the vital work of our Relationship Violence Prevention & Research Centre, it's essential to acknowledge the individuals whose dedication and support have brought this initiative to life. Their commitment to promoting safety, awareness, and advocacy has laid the foundation for our center's mission to address relationship violence comprehensively. Together, we strive to create a community where all members can thrive in healthy and respectful relationships
Gaye Warthe (she/her), PhD, RSW
Vice Dean and Professor of Social Work, Faculty of Health, Community and Education
Dr. Gaye Watson Warthe, RSW, is the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Health, Community and Education at Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary. Gaye's research interests focus on gender-based violence prevention, disaster preparedness/climate change and simulation in social work education. In 2018, Gaye was recognized by the Alberta Government for her innovative contributions to family violence prevention. Gaye is the principal investigator on a relationship violence prevention project, a multi-year relationship violence incidence and prevalence study, a study to explore men’s experiences of dating violence in post-secondary and a national study on disaster preparedness. Gaye is the President of the board of Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters and a past board member with Discovery House, RESOLVE Alberta and SHIFT. In 2021/22 Dr. Warthe received both a Distinguished Faculty Award and a Stars Alberta Volunteer Award for Breaking Barriers - Fighting Gender Discrimination.
Cathy Carter-Snell (she/her), PhD, RN, SANE-A
Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Cathy Carter-Snell is a certified sexual assault nurse examiner and has worked clinically with victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. She developed and taught a number of courses on sexual assault and intimate partner violence and has a national program online to improve sexual assault services (EESAS). Cathy's program of research is focused on the prevention of violence and early effective intervention by professionals when it cannot be prevented. She is one of the co-founders of the Stepping Up program.
Julia Rand (she/her), MSW, RSW
Coordinator, Stepping UP Program
Julia Rand is a registered social worker with an interest in gender-based violence prevention and has been the coordinator of the Stepping UP Program since 2022. Stepping UP provides opportunities for Julia to work directly with students to help promote healthy relationships and to reduce relationship and gender-based violence on campus. It is her hope that those efforts affect change in the wider community as well. Julia also looks forward to becoming a certified facilitator of the Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse training with the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services.