Rick Halperin

Rick Halperin is an Adjunct Lecturer and Professor of the Practice of Human Rights at Southern Methodist University (SMU), serving as Director of the Human Rights Education Program. He teaches courses on human rights, genocide, and American history. Halperin holds a Ph.D. from Auburn University, an M.A. from SMU, and a B.A. from George Washington University.

His research focuses on human rights issues, including the death penalty, genocide prevention, and social justice. He has led international human rights monitoring projects, including investigations into Texas death row facilities, Irish prisons, and El Salvador. Halperin actively opposes the death penalty through roles with Amnesty International USA, the National Death Penalty Advisory Committee, and Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

He organizes annual human rights educational journeys to sites like Argentina, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Holocaust memorials in Europe. These trips aim to honor victims of atrocities and inspire resilience against systemic oppression. Halperin has been interviewed extensively by media on human rights topics and has served in leadership roles on multiple national and international boards.