KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 29, 2021

Kennesaw State University has appointed renowned scholar Roslyn Satchel to lead the research efforts of the newly created Radow Institute for Social Equity (RISE), effective January 1.

Satchel currently is the Blanche E. Seaver Professor of Communication at Pepperdine University and a Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society Fellow at Harvard Law School. In addition to the courses she teaches to undergraduate, graduate and law students, Satchel has authored or co-authored several national and international publications related to her research interests of intercultural studies, social movements and gender issues.

As the lead researcher for the Radow Institute for Social Equity, Satchel will conduct scholarship to advance the understanding and impacts of economic, political and social inequality. Established earlier this year through a contribution from longtime KSU supporters Lindy and Norman Radow, the Institute works to develop sustainable solutions to address pressing social challenges.

“Dr. Roslyn Satchel is a visionary leader with a proven commitment to social justice in scholarship and in practice,” said Pam Cole, interim dean of the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “In the classroom and in the community, Dr. Satchel has demonstrated a deep understanding of how research can contribute to substantive change to social challenges.”

Prior to entering academia, Satchel was a successful policy advocate and nonprofit executive. She was involved in several initiatives and helped drive policy development in positions including research director at Howard University’s Center on Child Health Disparities, executive director at the National Center for Human Rights Education, and a founding board member of the Interfaith Children’s Movement.

In her new role at Kennesaw State, Satchel will return to metro Atlanta where she earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Divinity degrees from Emory University, served as a fellow at the Southern Center for Human Rights and founded DESIST, an advocacy organization for girls in juvenile courts.

“I see Kennesaw State’s commitment to diversity and inclusion as an ideal fit with my interests in human rights, cultural representations and law and ethics,” Satchel said. “Coming to KSU, I will be able to continue my passion for working with students while being in an area of the country I already love because of Atlanta’s rich history of civil rights leadership.”

Satchel has received multiple awards for her scholarship and advocacy, including Pepperdine's 2020 Howard A. White Teaching Award, the 2019 National Communication Association’s Feminist and Women's Studies Scholar-Activist Award, and Pepperdine’s 2017 Distinction in Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. She also has been named among Ebony magazine’s “30 Young Leaders of the Future” and has been honored by Emory University’s Law and Religion Program, Spelman College’s WISDOM Center, and the National Association of Black Social Workers, among others.

Along with her two degrees from Emory, Satchel holds a Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Howard University.

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.