Research: Transitional Justice, Conflict, Human Rights, Post-Conflict Processes (Google Scholar Profile).
Teaching: International Relations, Comparative Politics, Human Rights, International Law, Research Methods.

Dr. Angela D. Nichols is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Director of The Peace, Justice, & Human Rights Initiative at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Nichols earned her Ph.D. in Political Science with subfields in International Relations and Comparative Politics from the University of North Texas. She also holds a B.A. in International Relations from The Pennsylvania State University. Professor Nichols’ research broadly focuses on issues related to human rights and conflict. Her book Impact, Legitimacy, and Limitations of Truth Commissions examines how truth commissions contribute to peace and human rights following periods of conflict or mass abuse. She has published articles in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Perspectives, Conflict, Security, & Development, Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, Civil Wars, and TRAMES: A Journal of the Humanities & Social Sciences. Her analysis can also be found in The Conversation and Political Violence at a Glance. Dr. Nichols’ newest work examines the causes and consequences of women’s engagement in rebel groups with a focus on Colombia. For more information please visit her website: http://angeladnichols.weebly.com/

Female Participation and Civil War Relapse

Current Research --My research focuses broadly on transitional justice. I am particularly interested in unpacking which of these wide range of approaches and particular processes therein encourage peace in transitioning societies. I also study human rights more generally. These interests include, but are not limited to, understanding the (mis)behavior of state and non-state actors and determining what impact women have in conflict and post-conflict processes. I have current and future research interests in all of these areas. My dissertation focuses on unpacking how truth commissions are able to achieve institutional legitimacy and thus contribute to the overall peace and stability of post-conflict and other transitioning societies. I would like to extend this project to include other mechanisms of transitional justice (trials, purges, lustration, amnesties, apologies, memorials, etc.). I am also interested in a variety of other human rights projects. One such paper (co-authored with Jacqueline H.R. DeMeritt and Eliza Kelly) is forthcoming at CivilWars. This paper demonstrates how the participation of women in the social and political spheres of society increases the duration of peace experienced by post-civil war states. A second project (co-authored with Eric Keels) examines the possibility that more repressive states are even less likely than their counterparts to escape the 'conflict trap.' A third paper (coauthored with James Meernik, Rosa Aloisi, and Marsha Sowell) examines why some states are the subject of naming and shaming campaigns while others are not. This paper was published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution (2012) and demonstrates that human rights organizations are the link between local and international actors, making those states with more active human rights organizations more likely to be on the receiving end of Amnesty International urgent action campaigns.