The Reiff Center

The Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution at Christopher Newport University is dedicated to:

• Raising awareness of the horrors of genocide, human rights violations and conflict
• Studying ways to overcome these by examining the international and national application of human rights, conflict resolution and peace studies

A liberal arts institution, Christopher Newport supports interdisciplinary learning, cultural understanding and student involvement. This takes place both inside and outside the classroom as we promote service, leadership, intellectual inquiry, and the exploration of social and civic values. To this end, the Reiff Center sponsors educational programs, curricular development, conferences and public events, service and leadership opportunities, and research for faculty and students.

Named in honor of Dr. Theodore R. Reiff, a retired physician, medical educator, researcher and founding president of the Genocide Education Project, the center applies historical, political, social and international perspectives to its initiatives.

Our Work

Research Projects

All Reiff Center students have the opportunity to assist the director in conducting research for publication in academic journals. To date, Reiff Center students have contributed to the following projects:

• "Balancing Justice: Damages Awarded by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights" (Review of International Organizations, 2025)
  Kate Bennett, Alexandria Brooks, Louise Byrne, Allie Fiul, Maggie Flanagan, Hunter Lang, Ann Silva
• "The Price of Justice: Compliance and Damages Awarded by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights" (Journal of Law and Courts, 2025)
  Louise Byrne, Callie Davidson, Allie Fiul
• "Quasi-Judicial Reasoning: Citation Practices in UN Treaty Bodies"
  Alese Cowardin, Kate D'Amato, Sam Ellyson, Nicole Farrace, Maggie Flanagan, Sharayah McDonald, Caroline Mills, Melodie Moore, Aleigh Puckett
• "The Promise and Peril of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights"
  Kate Bennett, Louise Byrne, Matias Copeland, Kate D'Amato, Stefani Lopez, Susana Medina Guardado, Estefany Reyes
• "Gendering Justice: Women Victims and Inter-American Court of Human Rights Reparations"
  Alese Cowardin, Susana Medina Guardado, Melodie Moore, Sydney Ryan
• "Consequential Histories: A Field Experiment at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum"
  Sam Ellyson, Nicole Farrace, Sharayah McDonald, Susana Medina Guardado, Caroline Mills, Melodie Moore, Sydney Ryan

External Partnerships

All Reiff Center students have the opportunity to contribute to the work of external partners in the advancement of human rights scholarship and practice. To date, current and former students have been involved with the following:

• Conversations Textbook Companion Website
  Kate Bennett, Sam Ellyson, Maggie Flanagan, Allie Fiul, Cole Lepler, Sydney Ryan
• Divest Invest Protect
  Kate D'Amato, Nicole Farrace, Maggie Flanagan, Allie Fiul, Cole Lepler, Sharayah McDonald
• Pink Triangle Legacies Project
  Sam Ellyson (Public History Intern)

We are always interested in new partnerships. If you are interested in partnering with us, please email reiffcenter@cnu.edu.

Past Events

The Reiff Center holds events covering a variety of topics regarding human rights, with each event hosted by a specialist in a certain area. All Reiff Center events are open to CNU students, and we encourage all to come and ask questions! Check out some of our past events below!

Past Events