Stephen Sullivan
Researcher
Stephen Sullivan joined RSI in June 2024. As RSI's Researcher, he conducts program evaluations and research and supports ongoing projects.
Stephen's recent projects at RSI have focused on uncovering access to justice issues and identifying barriers to participation in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs. For RSI’s OPEN Project, he and the research team designed and conducted usability testing on new court resource models to address common communication and technological barriers that self-represented litigants (SRLs) experience. The next phase of this project involves helping court partners to redesign their communications materials so they are accessible to SRLs. Stephen also led an evaluation of the Center for Conflict Resolution's (CCR) implementation of recommendations from an equity audit of its Mediator Mentorship Program, and he worked with CCR staff to develop a guide for community mediation centers to enhance the diversity of their volunteer mediator rosters. His projects have extended beyond court ADR to include the evaluation of a program designed to support communication across divides.
Stephen holds a PhD in Anthropology from Northwestern University. His doctoral research on gentrification, social justice and sensory experience received support from the Mellon Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies and the School for Advanced Research. He also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Psychology. Stephen has previously conducted public interest technology research for New York University and managed program evaluation for a New York City-based arts education nonprofit organization.