Meet the Director

Dr. Natoschia Scruggs is an Assistant Professor of African & African American Studies as well as Director of the Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center. Her research interests revolve around contemporary and historical public policy formation and analysis, particularly as they pertain to global migration. She specializes in using mixed methods to examine the personal narratives and life histories of individuals, alongside government documents and state-provided information, to discover how immigration and refugee policies are implemented, and how those policies shape people’s lived experiences across societies and time, with emphasis on urban spaces.

Before joining NJCU, Dr. Scruggs held positions at other academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and in government, including having served as principal advisor on research to Ambassador Susan Rice, Ambassador Samantha Power, and Ambassador Nikki Haley at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In addition to hands-on, extensive experience working with conflict-affected populations, refugees, asylees, and survivors of gender-based violence, Dr. Scruggs has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters addressing family violence, elder abuse, sexual exploitation, displacement, and state violence. She earned an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in African Diaspora Studies with a focus on global migration and emphasis on women, gender and sexuality from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was a Ford Foundation Fellow, Rotary Ambassadorial Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, and American Field Service high school foreign exchange student.

Please contact hagancenter@njcu.edu for conference, speaking engagement and media inquiries for Dr. Scruggs.