Charity Butcher, Ph.D., Announced as Director of the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development
KENNESAW, Ga.
(Mar 22, 2023) —
"We are wholeheartedly committed to the school’s goals to create a shared sense of purpose among those engaged in conflict management to resolve issues between individuals and communities locally and globally. Through our work, we are forging the paths forward to achieve resolution and peace,” said Dr. Butcher. “Having had the opportunity to serve in the interim position, I am inspired by the work of our students, faculty, and staff, and I am very excited to be able to continue that work in this role,” she added.
The School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development is focused on reducing, preventing or even eliminating violent conflict domestically and globally. Through research, teaching, practice and engagement, students and faculty develop the skills and strategies that facilitate systematic analysis that enables an in-depth understanding of the causes and mechanisms that contribute to conflict, and the application of tools and systems that effectively address it. The school offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs with interdisciplinary tracks, cutting-edge policy, academic and practice skills for peacemaking and development, and opportunities for engaging in policy-relevant research.
“Dr. Butcher fully embraced the mission and the purpose of the School of Conflict Management in her interim role and has demonstrated a commitment to the school’s programming, community engagement and support, and global vision for advancing constructive change in conflict-related discourse,” said Dean Kaukinen. “I am very pleased that she has accepted this position and look forward to how she furthers the curriculum and services the school offers to both students and the broader community.”
Dr. Charity Butcher is currently the Interim Director of the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development and a Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University. She is the recipient of the 2021 American Political Science Association Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2021 Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Political Science Education. She conducts research on conflict and human rights, as well as on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and is a Registered Neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She is author or co-author of three books, including NGOs and Human Rights (University of Georgia Press, 2021), Understanding International Conflict Management (Routledge, 2020), and The Handbook of Cross-border Ethnic and Religious Affinities (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in a variety of journals, including the Journal of Political Science Education, Journal of Human Rights, International Studies Perspectives, Terrorism and Political Violence, Democratization, European Political Science, and International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society.
