NSU Horizons Fall 2010

25 horizons work is socially relevant and shows that NSU is on the cutting edge of helping to solve world problems.” Another scholar concentrating on a hybrid of conflict resolution and genocide is Gregory H. Stanton, a research professor in genocide studies and prevention at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. Stanton is also on the advisory board of the Institute for Genocide Awareness and Applied Research (IGAAR), a philan- thropic organization that Campbell founded in 2009, with a call to action to raise awareness about genocide. Campbell invited Stanton to NSU’s main campus this year to present him with an award from IGAAR. “It’s great for the university to have these types of distinguished educators coming here. And it’s a good opportunity for these big names to come to our campus and see the work we are doing,” said Campbell. If he has it his way, some of the top social scientists in the field of genocide study will be tapped as guest lecturers in SHSS classrooms. Campbell’s passion hits a fever pitch when he talks about his students having access to speakers who would usually visit Ivy League schools. “How cool would it be if you were in a classroom with about 50 other students, and you were listening to one of these world-recognized scholars?” Campbell’s own reputation makes that idea more than a dream. When he completed his Ph.D. in Sociopo- litical Philosophy at the University of South Florida in Tampa, the offers came in from several schools urging him to join their faculty. “NSU was the right place for me,” said Campbell, who was hired at NSU in August 2009, days after he earned his Ph.D. “I wanted to be at a place that gave me the ability to grow. NSU has that pioneering spirit. At another school, a new faculty member wouldn’t be able to do research that wasn’t in line with a tradi- tional university structure. Here it’s not only doable, it’s encouraged.” But there was a more personal reason NSU felt like the right fit. “I guess you could say I felt like I was coming home,” said Campbell. A Cooper City High School graduate, Campbell grew up in South Florida. Born in Jamaica, Campbell’s family moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Florida after his parents divorced. “My mom was a single mother with six kids,” he said, adding that, as the oldest at age 13, he had to help raise his siblings. In Campbell’s classroom, he instills in his students that there are no limits—no limits to learning and no limits to achieving dreams, goals, and desires. “I hope that when people watch my videos and see who I am, they are inspired. I’d like them to say, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ I’d like them to realize that it isn’t about intellect or being the product of great genes. It’s really about perseverance,” said Campbell. n