Garnett Russell

Garnett Russell has been an active and engaged member of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) for nearly two decades (since 2007).

Garnett co-founded and served as the co-chair of the Education in Conflict and Emergencies Special Interest Group (SIG), which is now one of the largest SIGs at CIES with more than 400 active members. As part of her work with the SIG, she supported the expansion of mentoring and networking opportunities for early career scholars and practitioners. For example, the SIG hosted a New Scholars Mentoring Workshop for topics related to education and conflict and networking events in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Network on Education and Emergencies (INEE) and USAID.

In addition, she is the co-organizer of the upcoming 2026 Northeast Regional CIES Conference on Education, Migration, and Displacement to be held in New York. Over the years, Garnett has been involved in various activities and initiatives at CIES, including serving as a mentor for the New Scholars Committee, a reviewer for the Jackie Kirk Award, and a member and reviewer for numerous other SIGs, such as the Citizenship and Democratic Education SIG and the Gender and Education Committee.

Garnett is a dedicated member of CIES and hopes to continue to expand membership for scholars and practitioners from historically marginalized regions and institutions to bring diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives to the society. In addition, she hopes to expand opportunities for mentorship, networking, and publication for emerging scholars and practitioners. Her wealth of experience and leadership in international and comparative education, conflict and education, and human rights education will provide valuable contributions to the society and the board as the field continues to face unprecedented socio-political challenges.