News and Events
Analysis: "Would an Armed Humanitarian Intervention in Haiti Be Legal—and Could It Succeed?"
February 2023
In Political Violence @ A Glance, with Alexandra Byrne and Zoha Siddiqui
If the UN Security Council approves the US resolution for an armed humanitarian intervention in Haiti, the operation would be legal and, if it focused solely on humanitarian objectives, it could succeed.
Panel: Getting at the Root: Perspectives on Global Justice, Truth Telling and Accountability
January 2022
Participated in a panel discussion on global and local transitional justice, organized by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Feature: "Forming a San Francisco Truth Commission"
October 2021
My work with truth commission practitioner Eduardo González was featured in a research report by UC Berkeley's International Human Rights Law Clinic exploring possibilities for a truth commission to address anti-Black violence in San Francisco.
Invited Talk: "Transitional Justice for Racial Injustice"
October 2021
Christopher Newport University,
Newport News, VA
Roundtable: Transitional Justice and Lynching in Maryland
May 2021
Participated in a roundtable discussion on restorative and transitional justice with colleagues from the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, International Center for Transitional Justice, and Reginald F. Lewis Museum. “If we don’t document it, others will revise it.”
2021 USC Ph.D. Achievement Award Winner
May 2021
I am one of six winners of the 2021 USC Ph.D. Achievement Award, "the university’s highest honor conferred on a graduating Ph.D. student ... given based on the student’s record of success, job offers that stem from outstanding doctoral work, major awards earned and other indications of excellence relevant to the student’s field of study."
Inducted into the Order of Arête
May 2021
"Members of the Order of Arête have distinguished themselves above their peers through ... outstanding work within their individual programs and their dedicated service to the campus community." This honor is bestowed on less than one percent of graduating master's and doctoral students.
The Brookings Institution webinar: "Reconciling and healing America: How civil society can help the country overcome divisions"
February 2021
I was one of eight experts invited by the Brookings Institution to explore sources of American divisions and policy solutions with the potential to take the country on a path toward healing and shared prosperity. Dr. Fiona Hill moderated my panel.
Presentation: US Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation
January 2021
Presented my research findings at a leadership meeting of the US Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, which is lobbying lawmakers to support Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Senator Cory Booker's twin bills in the US House and Senate to create a national truth commission.
The New School Scholar Panel: "Race, Racism and International Relations"
September 2020
I was one of four scholars invited to The New School to discuss race and racism in International Relations, from the field's intellectual foundations to its service to Western imperial projects to its implications for how we recruit, train, and mentor the next generation of scholars.
American Society of International Law: Expert Panel: "US Sanctions and the International Criminal Court"
September 2020
I was one of five experts invited by the American Society of International Law to discuss the new US sanctions regime against the International Criminal Court. We deliberated how the sanctions will work and their potential consequences for US domestic and foreign policy.
Research Explainer Video: "The World Bank as an Enforcer of Human Rights"
September 2020
In this animated video produced by the USC Security and Political Economy Lab, I explain findings from a newly-published article with Benjamin Graham, "The World Bank as an Enforcer of Human Rights," out now in the Journal of Human Rights.
Bridging the Gap webinar: "What to Do When Your Research Gets Disrupted"
August 2020
I was one of five political scientists invited by American University and the Bridging the Gap Project to discuss how scholars using interview, focus group, and archival research methods can continue to conduct meaningful research amidst disruptions like Covid-19.
International Justice Lab Public Launch Event
January 2020
Thank you all for joining us for our launch! William & Mary Provost Peggy Agouris exhorted us to engage the challenges facing international law and justice, Wayne Sandholtz, Tanisha Fazal, and Layla Abi-Falah shared their insider insights, and I discussed my vision for IJL.
Truth Commission Experts Meeting at Auschwitz Institute
December 2019
Convened by the Auschwitz Institute, the truth commission experts meeting brought together a dozen scholars and practitioners to explore how commissions may support atrocity prevention by reducing social fragmentation and governance risk factors.
Introducing the International Justice Lab
October 2019
The International Justice Lab brings together faculty and students from across the United States to conduct research on human rights, transitional justice, and international law and courts. We aim to produce high-quality social science research that is relevant to policy makers, practitioners, and civil society advocates.
Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission
September 2019
Joined a group of distinguished guests to publicly launch the commission and participated in a roundtable with Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Maryland House Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk (21st District), the primary sponsor of the enacting legislation.
Visit of the Comisión por la Memoria to William & Mary
September 2019
La Comisión is an independent and autonomous public body established in Argentina in 1999 to promote and implement public policies of memory and human rights. Some advocates' work on human rights and transitional justice issues dates back to the junta and the transition to democracy in 1983.
American Political Science Association 2019 Best Human Rights Paper Award
August 2019
Received the 2019 Best Paper Award from the American Political Science Association's Human Rights Section on behalf of myself and my coauthor, Wayne Sandholtz for "Reserving Rights: Explaining Human Rights Treaty Reservations."
Invited Panel: "Research Ethics in Political Science"
February 2019
Organized by William & Mary's Social Science Research Methods Center (SSRMC), the panel – featuring Dr. Paula Pickering, Dr. Phil Roessler, and me – engaged the ethics of conducting political science research, notably where subjects are recovering from repression and conflict.
USC Special Guest Workshop, feat. Beth Simmons
February 2019
Facilitated a workshop with Dr. Beth Simmons, Andrea Mitchell University Professor of Law, Political Science and Business Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Hosted by the USC Center for International Studies, participants helped workshop Simmons' new project on border orientation in a globalizing world.
UC Santa Barbara 2018 Human Rights Roundtable
November 2018
Convened by the Mellichamp Chair, Dr. Alison Brysk, and the Orfalea Research Hub in Global Governance and Human Rights, this roundtable tracked emerging frontiers in human rights scholarship, including struggles over institutions for accountability, new frameworks such as water rights, the role of advocacy, and global migration.
Invited Workshop: "Journeys in World Politics"
October 2018
Organized by Dr. Sara Mitchell and Dr. Kelly Kadera at the University of Iowa, the 12th Journeys workshop brought together junior and senior women scholars in International Relations for research presentations, sessions on career and gender topics, and oral autobiographies by senior scholars.
Workshop: "Building Undergraduate Research Labs in the Social Sciences"
October 2018
Co-organized a workshop at the USC Center for Excellence in Research with my colleagues, Megan Becker and Benjamin Graham. Workshop presenters included Michael Findley from UT-Austin and Michael Tierney from William & Mary. Pictured is our featured student panel.
Third-Annual USC POIR Predoctoral Institute for First-Generation and Diverse Scholars
July 2018
Helped advise 35 first-generation and BA and MA students of color from across California on pursuing a Ph.D., writing applications, building research skills, securing mentors, and navigating the Ivory Tower.
Invited Speaker: "Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP) Conference" at William & Mary
July 2018
Taught first-generation and high school students of color from across Virginia about transitional justice in South Africa and lessons for the US. Spoke alongside local and state politicians on issues of truth and justice for our communities.
Guest Lecture: "Justice in the Aftermath of Repression"
February 2018
Georgetown University,
Washington D.C.
Lecture for the Government Department's seminar on race, rights, and reparations. Juxtaposed experiences of transitional justice in South Africa and my native Zimbabwe.
Guest Lecture: "'Mighty Be Our Powers': Women’s Peacebuilding in Liberia"
April 2017
Pomona College,
Claremont, CA
