Human Rights Institute Endowment

Gifts to the Human Rights Institute Endowment provide general programmatic support for the Human Rights Institute.

Thanks to the generosity of donors Gary Gladstein ’66 (CLAS), ’08 (HON) and his wife, Dr. Phyllis Gladstein, your gift can go further. The couple, whose generous giving spans the last 22 years, have committed $1 million as an outright gift plus an additional match to inspire giving by others. They will match gifts dollar for dollar to the Human Rights Institute, up to $1 million, over the next three years.


The Human Rights Institute (HRI) addresses some of the most pressing issues the country—and the world—face today. HRI is one of the leading interdisciplinary programs in the country and is committed to fostering curricular, research, and outreach activities that address human rights matters at local, national, and global levels.

Professor Richard Wilson, the Gladstein Distinguished Chair of Human Rights and a professor of law and anthropology at the UConn School of Law, and Professor Molly Land are tackling hate speech vs. free speech, and how our society can best protect both freedom and equality.

Nishith Prakash, Associate Professor of Economics and Human Rights, is researching the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic violence in the United States.

A “Transportation Equity Index” is now being built by Davis Chacon-Hurtado, postdoctoral fellow in Engineering for Human Rights. The tool will allow engineers and policy planners to more accurately forecast impacts of changes in transportation infrastructure on local residents. It can be adapted for use in communities around the world.

Undergraduate students in the Human Rights and Action Learning Community are developing the skills necessary to use and promote intergroup dialogue to address issues of racism, xenophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment (among other issues) on and off campus.

Your gift can further empower the Human Rights Institute by helping this important work become part of the national conversation.