SAVVY!
Students Against vViolence, Yes!
SAVVY! - About Us
SAVVY! began in 2004 as an out-growth of a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women in the U.S. Department of Justice awarded to Dr. Lila Rucker of the Criminal Justice Studies Program in the USD Department of Political Science. Since SAVVY!'s conception, it has provided the USD community with various interactive and experiential activities and trainings. 
SAVVY!'s major involvements include a three-day basic workshop, mini-workshops in the residence halls and Greek Life houses, and student success, an online sexual assault prevention program. Grant dollars have also been used to supplement already-existing law enforcement training for USD Public Safety, the Vermillion Police Department, and the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Peer education and advocacy are also key components of the grant. Upon the completion of SAVVY!'s three-day basic workshop, a person becomes a fully trained SAVVY! team member and can serve as a peer- educator across campus, a speaker for the speaker's bureau, and also co-facilitate mini-workshops. While SAVVY! has many team members, the core staff includes:
Lila Rucker, PhD.: Project Director - Dr. Rucker is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Studies Program and has taught at the University of South Dakota since 1989. Most of the classes she teaches are violence-related, including Family Violence and Alternatives to Violence. She has served as the President of the Board for Domestic Violence Safe Options Services since 1994. For the past 25 years, she has co-facilitated Alternatives to Violence (AVP) workshops in communities and maximum security prisons for both men and women across the United States and in post-war Nicaragua.
Mathias (Matt) Stricherz, EdD and Licensed Psychologist, CCDC III, CPS: Program Coordinatior - Dr. Stricherz graduated in 1976 from Texas Tech University and has been a licensed psychologist in practice since 1978. In the past he has served as a Police Psychologist/Police Officer, a Staff Psychologist (Texas Tech Student Counseling Center) an adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Nursing. Since 1989, he directs the University of South Dakota Student Counseling Center which houses Mental Health services, a State Accredited Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Prevention Program, a crisis response team, and was the co-founder of USD's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). He has served on SART's in both Texas and South Dakota.
Shawn Fick, MA, began work at the Vermillion Police Department in August, 1997. He has been a patrol officer, a Detective, and is currently a Shift Sergeant. While with the VPD, he has received extensive training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in the prevention of domestic violence. His training, based on the Duluth Model, advocates bringing all community resources together to assist victims and holding violators accountable. He has taught local law enforcement, members of the States Attorney office, several classes at USD, and routinely instructs at the South Dakota Law Enforcement Police Academy. Sgt. Fick holds a Masters degree in History with an undergraduate degree in History and Economics.
Karen Wall, Graduate Assistant - Karen is a second year student in the school psychology program here at the University of South Dakota. She received her Bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in sociology also from USD. Karen assists with the planning, scheduling, developing, and organizing of all SAVVY! functions.
Trevor Thielen, Graduate Assistant - Trevor is a third year law student pursuing a joint M.S. in political science here at the University of South Dakota. He received his Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology with a minor in philosophy from Northern State University. Trevor enjoys planning and organizing SAVVY! functions on USD’s campus and in the Vermillion community.
Alissia Canady, Graduate Assistant - Alissia is a second year law student at the University of South Dakota. She received her Bachelors degree in Management and Finance from Park University in Kansas City, MO. Alissia enjoys planning and organizing SAVVY! functions on USD’s campus and participating in local events in the Vermillion community
This project was supported by Grant No. 2007-WA-AX-0010 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
