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Advisory Boards

The Center’s day-to-day operations are managed by its Director, Dr. Steven Merrall, who takes responsibility for the actions and positions of the Center. The Center has a two-tier structure that is divided between its CSUSB Board, as is required by University rules, and a separate International Advisory Board, consisting of individuals who have a minimum of over a decade each and, in most cases, much more than that, of extraordinary accomplishment in their related fields.

It should be noted that affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and that neither individuals nor their organizations should necessarily be presumed to assent to every position or action taken by the Center, and conversely, it should not be assumed that the Center assents to all the positions or viewpoints of either individual members or their affiliated departments or organizations. We take pride in having accomplished people on our Boards who sometimes have divergent viewpoints that they freely share. All, however, rigorously embrace our mission to protect our democratic ideals and to combat bigotry.

University-Based Board

In addition to the Center director, the CSUSB Board consists of the following noteworthy Cal State scholars with their departmental affiliations and areas of expertise:

  • Prof. Rafik Mohamed, Ph.D., Professor and Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, expertise: race and class
  • Prof. Larry Gaines, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice, expertise: policing and homeland security
  • Prof. Alemayehu Mariam, JD/Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, expertise: law and race
  • Prof. Donna Garcia, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, expertise: social psychology, experimental psychology, and radicalization/recruitment by hate groups
  • Prof. Timothy Pytell, Ph.D., Professor of History, expertise: genocide

International Advisory Board

Our International Advisory Board Consists of many of the most accomplished practitioners and scholars in the field. Universities listed for professors represent their current affiliations and departments, not where they were awarded their degrees. In some cases, previous positions are listed as well.

  • Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, OOnt, MD, MPH, Professor of Global Health in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, Canada, hate as a public health issue and the promotion of peaceful reconciliation.
  • Prof. Erroll G. Southers, Ph.D., Professor of the Practice in National and Homeland Security at the University of Southern California (USC) Sol Price School of Public Policy, former FBI Special Agent and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Deputy Director for Critical Infrastructure of the California Office of Homeland Security, terrorism, security.
  • Prof. Laura Khor, Ph.D., Associate Director, The Osgood Center for International Studies (Washington DC), terrorist deradicalization, countering violent extremism (CVE), and terrorist radicalization
  • Prof. Dennis Downey, Ph.D., California State University, Channel Islands, Sociology,  human relations organizations
  • Prof. Amir Hussein, Ph.D.,  Loyola University (Los Angeles) Theological Studies, Chair Center for Global Understanding, Organizer Bellarmine Forum on Interfaith Dialogue
  • Dr. Hussein Ibish, Senior Fellow, American Task Force on Palestine; Executive Director, Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab American Leadership, Washington, DC
  • Prof. Carl Jensen, Ph.D.,  University of Mississippi, Criminal Justice/Director, Center for Intelligence and Security Studies- Univ. of Miss., national security, Superv. Special Agent, FBI Academy (Ret.)
  • Prof. Jack Levin, Ph.D., Northeastern University (Boston), hate crime and prejudice, Co-Director, Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict.
  • Prof. James Nolan, Ph.D., West Virginia University, Sociology & Anthropology, hate crime, data analysis, Unit Chief: Crime, Analysis, Research & Development Unit, FBI (Ret.)
  • Bennet Obong, Project Manager, Hate Crime Forum, Metropolitan Police Authority, London, UK
  • Prof. and Assoc. Dean Barbara Perry, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Oshawa, ON); Criminology, Justice, and Policy Studies, hate crime.
  • Lowell Smith, California Probation Department (Orange County, California), gangs, white supremacists, sovereign citizens
  • Professor Peter Simi, Ph.D., Chapman University (Orange, CA), Sociology, white supremacists/radicalism
  • Alvin Sykes,  President, Emmett Till Justice Campaign, National Association of Human Rights Workers, Kansas City, MO
  • Prof. Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, Ph.D., Bridgewater State University (MA), Criminal Justice, hate crime, racism.
  • Ron Wakabayashi, Western Regional Director, U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (Los Angeles, CA), human relations, prejudice; Los Angeles County: Commission on Human Relations (ret,)