Jess Rucell is an applied political science scholar with experience working in North America, Asia, and Africa. She has led programs, research, and advocacy on post-conflict reconstruction, gender-based violence, cultural preservation, and humanitarian response. Her work concerns intersections of power.

Jess has substantial experience pitching to, writing stories and opinions for, and conducting interviews with: BBC Africa, The Guardian, Carte Blanche, TheBody.Com, and City Press, among others. She is also a reader, writer, and performer of short stories and poetry.

As a scholar Jess is particularly qualified in qualitative, participatory, and ethnographic research methods and writing and has worked with quantitative data, too. Jess is experienced with peer-reviewed academic writing, having authored several book chapters, journal articles, United Nations submissions, and reports for national and international agencies. She is the co-editor of  a special issue of the journal Global Public Health, which includes research on Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Egypt.

She holds a Ph.D., in politics and international development from the University of Leeds, U.K., and a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Rotterdam, NL, and a bachelors degree in Asian studies from the New School University, U.S. Jess has taught undergraduate and graduate students human rights law, global development, sociology, and history in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa.

As a mentor and collaborator with We Are Not Numbers, Jess not only contributes her analytical training and substantial experience working in conflict and post-conflict situations; she also offers a compassionate and respectful relationship that practices sharing stories, co-learning, and ethically challenging power-relations.

Current as of July 2024