Leadership
The CPDD Executive Director, in addition to being a Senior Fellow and spearheading projects in one or more of the Center's key areas, establishes and cultivates the Center's strategic direction. They are responsible for the Center's outreach, project and fiscal development, project oversight, and routine management.
Karen Ross is an associate professor in the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance and a senior fellow at the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development, both at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies. Previously, she was an instructor at the Global & International Education Program at Drexel University and the Inquiry Methodology Program at Indiana University.
Karen's teaching and research focus on issues at the intersection of dialogue, peace-building, social activism, and education. She conducts research to help understand the impact of grassroots social change interventions and the way these interventions fit into efforts at broader societal transformation. In addition, Karen focuses on methodological issues related to how we conduct research about peace-building and social justice work and how we can do so in more inclusive and democratic ways. Among other areas, her work focuses on Israeli-Palestinian peace-building, restorative justice in US educational and correctional institutions, and dialogic teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms.
In addition to her academic work, Karen is a dialogue facilitator/facilitator trainer and evaluator. She is an Associate at Essential Partners and has consulted for organizations including UNESCO, GPPAC, the Edward Kennedy Institute, and the American Friends Service Committee.