People

The Global Teacher Seminar is made possible by the participation of Ohio State faculty and staff, as well as faculty from outside of Ohio State.

Dr. Tami Augustine 

Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Studies and Middle Childhood Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University

Professor Augustine is a lead facilitator of the Global Teacher Seminar. Over the course of the week, she will work with the participating teachers to advise them on how to incorporate human rights content into their classrooms in a way that aligns with state standards and is engaging for students.

Professor Laura Fernandez

Assistant Dean for International and Graduate Students at Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University

Professor Fernandez will lead the case study on Latin America, which focuses on the Colombian Civil War and FARC Peace Agreement. From years of experience working in the Western Balkans, she has extensive knowledge of post-conflict reconciliation and will inform the teachers about the transitional justice framework as it relates to the Colombian context.

Dr. Mitchell Lerner

Associate Professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and Director of Institute for Korean Studies at Ohio State

Professor Lerner will lead the East Asian case study on state repression in North Korea, which will detail prison camps, state control of food distribution, North Korean refugees in China and South Korea, and current US-Korean relations.

Kathryn Metz

Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Slavic and East European Studies at The Ohio State University.

Kathryn Metz is a lead facilitator of the Global Teacher Seminar. In addition to assisting in the organization of the institute, she will also conduct the follow-up consultations with the participating teachers, which has been made possible through an Educator Enrichment Grant funded by the Ohio Humanities.

Jibril Mohamed

Lecturer of Somali language and culture in the Department of African American and African Studies and the Executive Director of SomaliCAN

Professor Mohamed will present the African case study on the Somali Civil War and Diaspora. He serves as a consultant to policymakers, think tanks and stakeholders on Somali affairs and with this knowledge he will inform the teachers about the history of the conflict in Somali and the experience of Somali refugees in the United States.

Dr. Khatchig Mouradian 

The Nikit and Eleanora Ordjanian Visiting Professor at Columbia University.

Professor Mouradian will cover the content for the Middle East and Eastern Europe by covering the Armenian Genocide and diaspora. In his lecture, he will discuss the history behind the term ‘genocide’,  as well as the history of the Armenian Genocide, diaspora and its connection to the current refugee crisis in the Middle East.

Miroljub Ruzic 

Subject Specialist for East European and Slavic Studies, Religious Studies, History of Christianity at The Ohio State University Library

Father Ruzic will give a presentation on effective ways to use the Ohio State Library database and discuss human rights related resources available on campus.

Dr. Jennifer Suchland

Associate professor in the Department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures 

Professor Suchland is a lead facilitator of the Global Teacher Seminar. She will lead two sessions that introduce the teachers to the origins of human rights and their development in international law. Through her presentations, she will apply a critical lens to analyze the contested and changing nature of human rights. She will also lead a session on forced labor and human rights.