In the Spotlight!

Jelena Pia-Comella

Since the year 2020, Professor Jelena Pia-Comella has worked as a lecturer on essential topics including international human rights law now taught in the Department of Political Science. She has dedicated her efforts to teaching students enrolled in her capstone course about the importance of drafting policy briefs with the intention of convincing the United States of America to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Soon thereafter, she was hired by the ICJ MA program to develop the highly anticipated course, “Gender justice for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence and crimes,” marking this as the very first and only class teaching this topic at John Jay College.

In 2022, she joined the Center for International Human Rights as a visiting scholar. Since her arrival in this organization, she has ensured that gender justice, women’s rights, and the leadership of women in atrocity prevention would be a priority at the Center. She succeeded in her admirable ventures and furthered her work by bringing speakers from the French Armed Forces, the Senate of Canada, and CSOs from Francophone West Africa all while she strengthened the Center’s relationship with the GAAMAC. A significant contribution she made was to the Human Rights Review Journal wherein she drafted the book review titled, “The Force of Witness: contra feminicide by Rosa-Linda Fregroso,” (Pia-Comella, Human Rights Review 24, 2023, p. 307-308). An additional article she wrote, “Conflict-related sexual and gender-based crimes: a threat to gender equality and women’s rights,” (2023) will now be officially published as a chapter in the book, “Erosion of Human Rights” (2023). In the same year she completed her written works, she facilitated the participation of the Andorran Prime Minister in his lecture at John Jay College.

Presently, Professor Jelena Pia-Comella leads the Spring 2025 course ICJ 703: International Criminal Law for the ICJ MA Degree Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She has concentrated her endeavors since then to contribute to various events at John Jay College including: “Resiliency Among Survivors of Gender-Based Violence, in March 2022;  and in September 2024 she participated in, “The Beijing Declaration and Platform for action: reflecting on the past and leaning forward.” During March 2025, she engaged in the CSW “Feminist Approaches to Justice – Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Peace.” In addition to these incredible feats, she conducted a peer review for an article for the International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice! Recently, she has been invited to write an article on the protection approaches to address and combat sexual and gender-based violence against women under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The aforementioned written piece will be featured in a special issue in the Current Sociology Journal titled, “Feminist approached at Beijing+30,” (2024). Ever since April 2024, Professor Jelena Pia-Comella has served as the official Associate Editor of the Human Rights Review Journal.

George Andreopoulos

George Andreopoulos is Professor of Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and the founding Director of the Center for International Human Rights at John Jay College. Before coming to CUNY, he taught for several years at Yale University where he was also the Founding Associate Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights. He has written extensively on international organizations, international human rights, and international humanitarian law issues. Over the years, he has participated in several human rights missions and has been a consultant for International Organizations and NGOs. He is past President of the Interdisciplinary Studies Section (IDSS) of the International Studies Association (ISA) and past President of the Human Rights Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA). He is the recipient of many grants and fellowships, including the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Alexander Onassis Foundation and the German Research Foundation. He is currently completing a book on the United Nations Security Council and Counterterrorism.

Professor George Andreopoulos (Political Science) has two forthcoming publications: (1) International Human Rights Law: Advancing Human Security? A Complex and Uneven Trajectory, which will appear in a book entitled International Law, Security and Military Power to be published later this year by Routledge; and (2) Networking for Academic Freedom: Issues and Challenges, which will appear in a book entitled The Role of Networks in Advancing Human Rights to be published later this year by Edward Elgar. Last July, he testified (remotely) before the Commission on Human Rights of the Republic of the Philippines on the Roots of Counter-terrorism Measures and How they Impact Human Rights Protection and Activism at the National Level. In September, he participated in a webinar organized by the International Law Section of the International Studies Association (ISA) on 'The Genocide Question before the International Court of Justice.' In October, he made two presentations at the International Congress on Human Rights, organized by the Federal University of Tocantins, the Tocantins Superior School of Magistrates and the Tocantins State Court of Justice in Brazil; one presentation ‘On Detention Facilities and International Human Rights Law Standards,’ and the other on ‘The Genocide Question before International Courts.’ In January, he gave a lecture on ‘The United Nations in Global Governance’ at the American College of Thessaloniki, Greece. In March, he presented the following papers at the ISA Annual Convention in Chicago: ‘Legalization of Human Rights-the Role of Customary International Law,’ and ‘On Normative Hierarchy and Coherence in Times of Emergency.’ At the same Convention, he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Interdisciplinary Studies Section of ISA.

Itai Sneh

Professor Itai Sneh works at the Department of History in John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, is Associate Professor for World Civilizations, studies Human Rights and International Law, and completed his doctorate in American history with a focus on foreign policy and human rights at Columbia University. He holds a law degree, and a Masters in Eastern European Jewish Studies, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a B.A. in Jewish History (with minors in International Relations, Biblical Studies, and Yiddish Language and Culture) from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. He chose John Jay College to research and teach the global history of human history to enhance our basic standing in the field of human rights studies that complement criminal justice. He is thrilled to educate and guide so many dedicated advocates.

Itai Sneh has a fascination with the global history of international human rights and justice; Spectrum of American history issues: presidential, diplomatic, political, constitutional, civil rights, legal, racial, ethnic, minority, and immigration; international law; terrorism; homeland security; genocide; Israel and the Middle East; Jewish (especially modern Eastern European) history. Professionally, he has served on the Board of Editors of the Human Rights Review, as a regular peer reviewer to the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law, and as a regular contributor to the Journal of American History, Diplomacy & Statecraft, and Peace and Change. He also has published numerous review articles that include H-HUMAN RIGHTS, H-LAW, H-DIPLO, H-POL, and Reviews in American History. 

Multiple and recent conference presentations include Ted-X; the London of School of Economics, and the University of Sussex in England; the International Studies Association; the American Historical Association; the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR); the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Loyola Constitution Law Colloquium; the Massachusetts School of Law; George Mason University; Roger Williams University; New York University; Fordham University’s Law School; the North East Modern Language Association; the North East Popular Culture Association; the International Association of Genocide Scholars; Iona College; Regis College and various CUNY and SUNY colleges in the U.S.; Wilfrid Laurier University, and the Association for Security and Intelligence Studies in Canada; the Pluralism, Inclusion, and Citizenship Global Conference in Salzburg, Austria; the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, and the Democracy and Intelligence Conference at Bar Ilan University, in Israel. He aspires to focus on global history while serving as a public intellectual through championing universal human rights, freedoms, equality, and solidarity, while being a Renaissance Man with a thirst for learning and yearning for knowledge.

Lectures from Ted-X are viewable on YouTube and through the links down below:

“The Bomb Clock is Ticking,”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dYk-aaQFr8

"How to Negotiate Victimhood and Religious Identity:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNRtiND0QQU

For more information on Itai Sneh:

John Jay College: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/history/facultyprofile/sneh.asp;

Academic Interests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VML1Ehxvvik

Linkedin:http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=204385&trk=nav_responsive_tab_pofile

Professor Amy Adamczyk manages the International Crime and Justice MA internship course at John Jay College of Criminal Justice! This course had not been offered in several years, and has been brought back with the hope of making it a regular part of course offerings. This dynamic course provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while earning six academic credits. Students commit to 20 hours per week at prestigious internship sites, including the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance, the New York City Crime Analysis Center, the Waterfront Commission, and the International Rescue Committee. The course is now being run through John Jay College online, allowing remote and online students to participate and take advantage of these incredible opportunities, no matter where they are. Professor Amy Adamczyk looks forward to guiding students through this invaluable professional experience!

Are you a student who qualifies for federal work-study? If so, I invite you to consider working with me this semester to help promote my research and latest book. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain firsthand experience with the research process, learn how to effectively promote academic work, develop valuable communication skills, work remotely, and get paid. Plus, this experience could strengthen your résumé and enhance applications for doctoral programs. If you're interested, please reach out to me directly (aadamczyk@jjay.cuny.edu)—I’d love to discuss the opportunity with you!