Professor Black is a specialist in international and grassroots development, international and comparative politics, and US foreign policy. Professor Black has been leading the Middlebury Institute's human rights programs for more than a decade. Professor Black received her PhD from the School of International Service at American University. Professor Black was elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2014 to the national board of directors of Amnesty International USA.
Professor Black is the author of several books that examine global human rights. She is also a member of the Advisory Boards of International Political Science Association's Committee on Civil-Military Affairs; the PHD Fellowship Program of the US Inter-American Foundation; the Global Studies Program of California State University, San Jose.