Ms. Vanessa E. Volz

Vanessa Volz has been an adjunct instructor in the Gender and Women's Studies program since 2010. She teaches several different courses, including "Gender-Based Violence," "Gender and Society," and "Reproductive Rights and Justice." She has been the CEO (formerly the Executive Director of Sojourner House, a Rhode Island statewide domestic and sexual violence agency, since 2011. She previously served as a staff attorney at a disability rights non-profit organization, and she has published articles in the UC Berkeley Reproductive Rights casebook and the Rutgers University Women's Rights Law Reporter. In 2024, she was presented with a Doctorate in Humane Letters from RIC in recognition of her professional contributions. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Bard College, Leadership Rhode Island, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and two 200-hour yoga trainings. She is also a certified executive coach and helps emerging and established leaders find clarity to strengthen their impact