Tara O’Connor Shelley is a criminologist. 
She received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University and her master's in Justice, Law and Society from the American University. She is a professor and director of the Institute on Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking in the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration at Tarleton State University located in Texas. In 2020, she was a Fulbright Scholar at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague. She taught "Basics of Criminology and Crime Prevention" and provided a formal presentation to faculty, staff, and students on her research related to Chronic Stress in Policing.
Three years after her Fulbright, in June 2023, Tara returned back to the Czech Republic with colleague Dr. Rhonda Dobbs and a group of 18 students from Tarleton State University. “I traveled to the Czech Republic as a study abroad student long ago and discovered the power of experiential learning. As a result, I am passionate about providing my students with experiential learning opportunities because it is critical for student development and success. As a Fulbright scholar, I developed new connections and experiences that I can now share with my students.”
Eighteen students from various undergraduate, Master’s, and the Criminal Justice Doctoral Program participated in the study abroad trip. Students learned about the history and culture of the Czech Republic, criminal justice in the Czech Republic, diplomatic security, drug policy and harm reduction strategies, domestic violence and victim services, human trafficking, hate crimes, the Holocaust, war crimes in the Ukraine, and human rights issues. Tarleton students were exposed to guest lectures from local experts and engaged in daily field excursions to a variety of venues. Several Tarleton students on the trip work as police and probation officers in the U.S. and they enjoyed meeting and interacting with their Czech counterparts during program activities. Partnering and hosting institutions included the University of New York in Prague (UNYP) and the Police Academy of the Czech Republic (POLAC). “I am grateful to the Fulbright Commission for helping me form partnerships that our students can benefit and learn from. POLAC and UNYP were generous hosts to the Tarleton students and these partnerships provided meaningful learning experiences for our students that they will never forget.”
Photo: Tarleton Study Abroad Students with Commander of the Civil Disturbance Unit for the Czech National police, June 2023, Prague.
Photo: Dr. Shelley and Tarleton Study Abroad Students with Faculty and Administrators at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic, June 2023, Prague.
Photo: Tarleton Police Practitioner Students with Czech Police Officers at the Police Academy, June 2023, Prague.
Photo: Tarleton Police Practitioner Students with Police Officials and Faculty at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic, June 2023, Prague.
Photo: Tarleton Study Abroad Students at the Spanish Synagogue in Prague, June 2023.
Photo: Tarleton Study Abroad Students Meeting with Diplomatic Security Agent, U.S. Department of State at the American Center in Prague, June 2023.
Photo: Dr. Shelley and Tarleton Study Abroad Students Visiting Všehrdy Prison, Czech Republic and Meeting with Prison Staff, June 2023.
