DR. Aissetu Barry, GHRAD Associate Director and founding member

What’s most interesting about my research is its decolonial grounding. I focus on how knowledge, power, and practice intersect in social work—particularly in relation to migration, community development, and survivor well-being. My work challenges Eurocentric frameworks by centering Indigenous knowledge systems, local voices, and asset-based approaches. I’m deeply interested in how communities define their own strengths and pathways to healing, rather than being defined by deficit models. Through this lens, I aim to reimagine social work as a discipline that not only serves communities but learns from them.

What I value most about being part of GHRAD is the people — my colleagues inspire me to do better and be better every day. We truly have a dream team: interdisciplinary, passionate, and united by a shared commitment to understanding why genocide and mass violence persist despite the world’s promise of “never again.” Working within this community keeps me both curious and grounded. It challenges me to look at human behavior, systems, and history through new lenses, and to engage in research that not only seeks answers but also reaffirms our collective responsibility to humanity.

What originally drew me to this field was my mentor and colleague, Dr. Jeanine Ntihirageza, the Director of the GHRAD Center. Her powerful research and personal story as a survivor of the 1972 genocide in Burundi deeply inspired me. When she invited me to attend the annual genocide conference, I was immediately hooked — for life. That experience opened my eyes to the urgency and humanity of this work. I was later honored to be part of the founding team of GHRAD, the only genocide research center in the Midwest focused on Africa and its diaspora. It’s been both a personal and scholarly journey of purpose and commitment.