John Hursh is the Program Director of DAWN. Previously, he served as Director of Research at the Stockton Center for International Law and Editor-in-Chief of International Law Studies at the U.S. Naval War College. He also served as Policy Analyst at the Enough Project, an NGO working to end genocide and crimes against humanity, where he focused on Sudan.

He has completed research in Sudan and Uganda addressing human rights violations, humanitarian issues, and government corruption. He also observed peace negotiations between the Government of Sudan and armed opposition groups in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has published numerous academic articles and book chapters addressing a range of human rights and humanitarian issues. His writing has also appeared in African Arguments, World Politics Review, and Foreign Policy. He is a regular contributor to Just Security.

Hursh is a graduate of McGill University Faculty of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of Law and O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law.