Susan Dicklitch-Nelson

Susan Dicklitch-Nelson is a Professor of Government at Franklin & Marshall College, specializing in human rights with a focus on global LGBTQI rights, civil society, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She founded the F&M Global Barometers initiative, which includes the Global Barometer of Gay Rights (GBGR) and Transgender Rights (GBTR), and developed the LGBTQI Perception Index. Her research emphasizes legislative protections, lived experiences, and advocacy impacts in over 200 countries. She has served as an expert witness in human rights cases and contributed to the White House Summit for Democracy's LGBTQI Human Rights Report Cards. Dr. Dicklitch-Nelson has held roles as Associate Dean of the College and Director of the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement. Her courses, such as GOV425: Human Rights/Human Wrongs, integrate community-based learning, enabling students to engage directly with political asylum cases and refugee resettlement efforts. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto and has authored numerous books and articles on human rights, democracy, and African politics.

• Education:
• PhD, Political Science, University of Toronto (1995)
• MA, Political Science, University of Toronto (1990)
• BA (Honors), Political Science & Geography, McMaster University (1989)

Research Interests: Her work combines rigorous empirical analysis with policy advocacy, focusing on LGBTQI rights, political asylum, and democratization in Africa. She has conducted field research in Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and South Africa, examining the intersection of law, culture, and human rights. Her projects often involve interdisciplinary collaboration, such as the F&M Global Barometers, which quantify LGBTQI rights protections globally.

Publications & Impact: Dr. Dicklitch-Nelson’s publications, including The Elusive Promise of NGOs in Africa, critically assess civil society’s role in development. Her recent work analyzes LGBTQI rights trends, highlighting disparities between legal protections and lived realities. She has advised international bodies like the Arcus Foundation and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.

Labs & Teams: She leads the F&M Global Barometers Initiative, a multidisciplinary project producing annual reports and methodologies for assessing global LGBTQI rights. This initiative collaborates with organizations like Grindr 4 Equality and informs policy debates globally.