Elizabeth Vartkessian September 24, 2026

Location: Escondido Theater, SUB at 5:00 PM

Since 2004, Elizabeth Vartkessian has been investigating the life histories of those facing the most severe penalties in the United States. She holds a PhD in law and an MS in comparative social policy from the University of Oxford, as well as BA in philosophy and political science from George Washington University. She is founder and director of Advancing Real Change, Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to conducting life history investigations in criminal cases and representing indigent men and women as they face our justice system. Her book, The Deserving, published by Bloomsbury in January 2026, tells the in-depth stories of eight of her clients.