Julie Mertus Professor SIS - Peace HR CR
- Degrees
- J.D., Yale Law School; B.S. Cornell University
- Bio
- Professor Julie Mertus has written widely on human rights and gender, conflict, the Balkans, U.S. foreign policy and U.N. institutions. She is the author or editor of ten books, including Bait and Switch: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy, named "human rights book of the year" by the American Political Science Association) and, most recently Human Rights Matters: Local Politics and National Human Rights Institutions and The United Nations and Human Rights. Before entering academia, she worked as a researcher, writer and lawyer for several human rights and humanitarian organizations.
- See Also
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Selected Publications
Honors, Awards, and Fellowships
- Fulbright Association Senior Scholar, 2006
- American University (AU) School of International Service (SIS) Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Professional Service, 2006
- American Political Science Association Human Rights Book of the Year, Bait and Switch, 2005
- AU Scholar/ Teacher of the Year, SIS, 2005
- AU SIS Faculty Award for Outstanding Curriculum Development, 2003
- AU SIS Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Professional Service, 2002
- Dartmouth College, Rockefeller Visiting Faculty, Institute on Violence and Culture, 2002
- U.S. Institute of Peace, Senior Fellow, Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace 2000-2001
- Term Member, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1998 – present
- Term Member, National Security Law Institute, 1998
Media Appearances
- WAMU, Radio, “Community Brainstorming Session on Gender-Based Violence,” (October 25, 2010).
- Voice of America, videoconference dialogue between American and Kosovar youth on the subject of new/social media (September 2010).
- Commentator on human rights and U.S. foreign policy, refugee policy, “ethnic conflict” and post-conflict reconstruction in the Balkans for several media outlets including: BBC World Service, CNN International, CBS, CNBC, Fox News, Voice of America (television and radio), International Herald Tribune, and The New York Times.
- Open Democracy
- The Baltimore Sun
- The Chicago Tribune
- USA Today
- The Washington Post
- The Christian Science Monitor
- The Philadelphia Inquirer
- The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Research Interests
Professor Mertus’ work focuses on human rights, U.S. foreign policy, refugee and humanitarian law and policy, gender and conflict and post-war transitions. Her geographic expertise is in Central and Eastern Europe, with a specialty on the former Yugoslavia.
Grants and Sponsored Research
- SIS Summer Research Grant, 2006
- SIS Summer Research Grant, 2004
- SIS Summer Research Grant, 2003
- AU Grant for Curriculum Development (Service Learning), 2006
- AU Grant for Curriculum Development, 2002