Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative Executive Director
Steven D. Roper, Ph.D.
561-297-2595, pburks@fau.edu
BOCA RATON, Fla. (April 20, 2016) – Steven D. Roper, Ph.D., has been appointed as the founding executive director of the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative at Florida Atlantic University. Roper also will serve as a professor in the Department of Political Science within FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. He begins his duties on Wednesday, June 1.
Roper has held several positions in higher education in the United States and overseas. Most recently, he was the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. He is editor-in-chief of Human Rights Review and has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Bank. He is a former Fulbright senior scholar and Fulbright senior specialist, and has served as an election observer on more than a dozen missions for the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe.
“I am delighted to be joining FAU and serving as the executive director of the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative,” said Roper. This is a very exciting time at the University, and I know that the Initiative will continue to contribute to FAU’s goals of social inclusion and assist in the University’s community and international outreach efforts.”
Roper’s research explores the design and implementation of transitional justice with a focus on conflict resolution mechanisms. His research has included fieldwork in diverse regions including East Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He is the author of four books and more than 50 articles and book chapters.
The Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative is one of nine key platforms in FAU’s current strategic plan. It is a multidisciplinary effort that seeks to bring together scholars, practioners and community leaders that are invested in the themes of human rights, peace and social justice. The five themes of the initiative include inequalities and social inclusion; environmental justice and sustainability; mindfulness and well-being; conflict, violence and genocide; and creative expression and social change. For more information about the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative, visit www.fau.edu/pjhr.
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About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.