Kelebogile Zvobgo is an Assistant Professor of Government at William & Mary, and founder and director of the International Justice Lab. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California in 2021. At USC, she was Provost's Fellow in the Social Sciences, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a recipient of the 2021 USC Ph.D. Achievement Award. She received her B.A. (with honors) in International Relations and French Language & Literature from Pomona College in 2014.
Zvobgo is broadly interested in human rights, transitional justice, and international law and courts. Much of her past and ongoing research concerns quasi-judicial and judicial bodies that have proliferated around the globe over the past half-century to address serious violations of human rights law and humanitarian law. Thus far, her work has centered on domestic truth commissions and international criminal tribunals, especially the International Criminal Court.
Zvobgo's research is published or forthcoming in peer-reviewed journals like the International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Human Rights, and PS: Political Science & Politics. She has also written for Foreign Policy Magazine, The Washington Post, The Conversation, and Ms. Magazine.
Experience
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2019–presentDirector, International Justice Lab, College of William & Mary
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2021–presentAssistant Professor of Government, College of William & Mary
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2015–2021Provost Fellow in the Social Sciences and Ph.D. Candidate, University of Southern California
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2019–2021Pre-doctoral Fellow, Global Research Institute, College of William & Mary
Education
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2021University of Southern California, Ph.D., Political Science and International Relations
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2014Pomona College, B.A., cum laude, International Relations & French Language and Literature
Publications
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2021The Stewardship Model: An Inclusive Approach to Undergraduate Research (with Megan Becker and Benjamin A.T. Graham), PS: Political Science & Politics
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2021Safeguarding truth: Supporting children’s participation at truth commissions (with Sameer S. J. B. Rana), Journal of Human Rights
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2021Field Research: A Graduate Student's Guide (with Ezgi Irgil, Anne-Kathrin Kreft, Myunghee Lee, and Charmaine N. Willis), International Studies Review
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2020Reserving Rights: Explaining Human Rights Treaty Reservations (with Wayne Sandholtz and Suzie Mulesky), International Studies Quarterly
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2020Smoothing the Pipeline: A Strategy to Match Graduate Training with the Professional Demands of Professorship (with Megan Becker), Journal of Political Science Education
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2020The World Bank as an Enforcer of Human Rights (with Benjamin A.T. Graham), Journal of Human Rights
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2020Demanding Truth: The Global Transitional Justice Network and the Creation of Truth Commissions, International Studies Quarterly
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2019Designing Truth: Facilitating Perpetrator Testimony at Truth Commissions, Journal of Human Rights
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2019Human Rights versus National Interests: Shifting US Public Attitudes on the International Criminal Court, International Studies Quarterly
Grants and Contracts
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2017NSF Division of Graduate Education (Grant No. DGE-1418060)
- Role:
- Graduate Research Fellow
- Funding Source:
- National Science Foundation
Professional Memberships
- American Political Science Association
- International Studies Association
- Williamsburg, VA
- Website
- @kelly_zvobgo
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined
