The history of genocide, mass atrocities, crimes against humanity and their continuing consequences stand at the core of the Strassler Center at Clark University. Home to a uniquely rich undergraduate program and a landmark doctoral program, the Strassler Center is the first and only institute of its kind.
Since 1998, it has gained international standing as the foremost PhD program training students in Holocaust History, the Armenian Genocide, and other genocides perpetrated around the globe.
Center faculty and students foster important scholarship and germinate significant ideas as conveners of a robust series of international symposia, workshops, and conferences that broaden the boundaries of genocide studies by introducing less known cases and novel approaches. The causes, conduct, and consequences of genocide are complex and require multifaceted approaches. The Strassler Center is committed to pushing boundaries in order to foster greater knowledge as well as to train professionals who hope to find solutions, offer healing and aid, education, and opportunities for memorialization.
Interim Director, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies; Professor, Sustainability and Social Justice; and Director, Genocide and Human Rights Concentration
“The World has witnessed many genocides. The only weapon we have to fight against episodes of mass violence is education. The PhD program at the Strassler Center in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University has provided me with a solid foundation to build upon for my academic career.”
Daan de Leeuw, Ph.D. ‘25
“My time at the Strassler Center was formative in shaping me as an educator and historian. The faculty, staff, and graduate student community challenged and supported me in equal measure, helping me hone my voice and find my place in the field. Through the Center, I had opportunities to organize international workshops, pursue German and Yiddish language study, present at conferences, and secure grants and fellowships that made my research possible. More than anything, the Strassler Center gave me an intellectual home and an extraordinary network of mentors and colleagues who continue to shape my career. I am deeply grateful to be part of the Strassler Center community.”
Hana Green, Ph.D. ‘25
Land acknowledgement
We acknowledge the long history of Nipmuc peoples and their bonds of kinship on the land where the Strassler Center community teaches, learns, and researches about genocide and mass violence.
