Gambiaj.com – (DAYTON, Ohio) – Gambian legal scholar and human rights practitioner Satang Nabaneh has been appointed the first Judge John Meagher Endowed Assistant Professor in Transitional Justice and Human Rights at the University of Dayton (UD) in the United States.
The newly established professorship, housed within UD’s Human Rights Center with a tenured faculty position in the Department of Political Science, took effect on August 16.
Nabaneh, an award-winning African legal scholar and an elected human rights expert of the African Union, will focus on transitional justice, human rights, peacebuilding, and the processes through which societies recover from violence and conflict.
New role to advance transitional justice
In her new position, Nabaneh will lead public discussions on human rights and justice, develop partnerships with experts and community leaders, and conduct research on how societies confront past violence and build peaceful and democratic futures.
She will also develop and teach courses in transitional justice and international human rights while mentoring students in advocacy, research, and fieldwork, particularly in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The professorship was established through a $1.72 million gift from UD alumnus John “Jack” Meagher, a Vietnam veteran and retired Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge.
Nabaneh said she was honored to take on a position linked to Meagher’s legacy of justice, peacebuilding, and community service.
“As the Human Rights Center continues to deepen its leadership in transitional justice, I see significant opportunities to expand research clusters and practitioner networks, creating new initiatives that prioritize student learning, development, and engagement while elevating both academic scholarship and real-world policy impact,” she said.
Nabaneh said she also plans to strengthen international research partnerships and pursue funding for comparative transitional justice research in both emerging and established democracies.
Strong African and international profile
Nabaneh joined the University of Dayton Human Rights Center in August 2021 as director of programs and was appointed assistant professor of practice within the center in 2024.
She is also an elected member of the African Union’s African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, where she serves as special rapporteur on violence against children.
Her work has involved collaboration with United Nations treaty-monitoring bodies, regional human rights mechanisms, and civil society organizations.
Her research examines the intersection of law, politics, and legal mobilization, with particular emphasis on political reform, reparations, and gendered harm in transitional contexts in Africa and elsewhere.
She has advised governments, contributed to legislation and human rights guidelines, and worked with judicial institutions, civil society organizations, and international bodies.
Contributions to Gambian constitutional debate
Nabaneh is the co-editor of The Gambia in Transition: Towards a New Constitutional Order, a book examining human rights, constitutional reform, and democratic governance following decades of authoritarian rule in The Gambia.
Her other publications include Female Genital Mutilation: Politics of Criminalization and Harmful Practices and Human Rights: An International Perspective.
Her research has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, while her analysis of human rights, constitutional democracy, and justice has also featured in international media, including The New York Times, Reuters, and Time.
She has been recognised with the Women Have Wings Award and the Justitia Awards for Women in Law. She has also been named among Africa’s scholars to watch by The Africa Report and among New African magazine’s “100 Most Influential Young Africans.”
University welcomes appointment
Nancy Martorano Miller, chair of the University of Dayton’s Department of Political Science, said Nabaneh’s expertise would broaden the university’s academic offerings.
“Her expertise will add new course offerings for students interested in human rights and politics outside of the United States,” Miller said.
Natalie Florea Hudson, executive director of the UD Human Rights Center, described Nabaneh as a scholar with a global reputation and a strong record of advocacy, particularly for the rights of women and girls.
“Dr. Nabaneh brings an extraordinary vision for advancing transitional justice through innovative teaching, research, and partnership,” Hudson said.
Nabaneh holds a doctorate in law from the University of Washington in Seattle, as well as doctorate and master of law degrees from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Before joining the University of Dayton, she served as a postdoctoral fellow and academic coordinator of the master’s and doctorate programs in sexual and reproductive rights in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
In her new role, she is expected to combine her academic work with international engagement, expanding research, student learning, and policy-oriented initiatives focused on justice, human rights, and peacebuilding.
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