My
current research explores
the design and the implementation of transitional justice with a focus on
legal mechanisms. My regional expertise is southern Europe (Moldova and
Romania). I have held grants from the American Council of Learned Societies,
the International Research & Exchanges Board, the Social Science Research
Council and was a Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Senior Specialist. I have
served as a consultant to the US Agency for International Development, US
Department of State and the World Bank. My books include The Development
of Institutions of Human Rights: A Comparative Study (2010, co-editor
Lilian A. Barria), Public Finance and Post-Communist Party Development
(2008, co-editor Janis Ikstens), Designing Criminal Tribunals: Sovereignty
and International Concerns in the Protection of Human Rights (2006,
co-author Lilian A. Barria) and Romania: The Unfinished Revolution
(2000). My research has appeared in various journals including Comparative
Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution and Party Politics.
I am incoming Editor-in-Chief of Human Rights Review and Professor
of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University. I have previously held
appointments at Georgetown University, US Air War College and Pace University.
My latest book, co-edited with Lilian A. Barria, has just been released and is available through Amazon.com. During the transition to democracy, states have used various mechanisms to address previous human rights abuses including domestic trials, truth and reconciliation commissions and internationalized tribunals. This volume analyzes the transitional justice choices made by four countries including Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), Sierra Leone and East Timor and highlights the opportunities and the constraints faced by states and the international community in providing accountability for human rights violations.