Dr. Jodie Roure is an accomplished consultant, scholar, and advocate with over 25 years of leadership in human rights, humanitarian initiatives, and education. She serves as President and CEO of Hurricane Maria Assistance & Relief Institutional Alliance, Inc. (H-MARIA), a nonprofit she founded to support communities impacted by natural disasters and to increase access to professional opportunities for underserved individuals across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Following Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico, Dr. Roure mobilized a network of medical and legal professionals, including Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, to deliver critical resources and services to the island. Under her leadership, H-MARIA launched Operation Giving Back Puerto Rico, the first free domestic surgical program created in partnership with the American College of Surgeons. This groundbreaking program operated from 2018 until it was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Roure has successfully raised millions of dollars in grant funding to support her initiatives and continues to serve as a government consultant, providing expertise on issues related to justice reform, violence prevention, and educational access.

Through her leadership, she has developed and directed transformative pipeline programs that prepare students from all backgrounds for careers in law and medicine. These initiatives have helped hundreds of aspiring professionals gain admission to law, medical, and graduate schools, collectively earning millions in scholarships and financial aid. Her programs, offered in partnership with numerous law and medical schools across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, provide comprehensive, year-round academic and professional development.

Dr. Roure is also a member of the American College of Surgeons Operation HOPE Domestic Volunteerism Sub-Committee and the founder of the NextGen ACS H-MARIA Cyber Speaker Series and Mentorship Program, which connects medical students from all four medical schools in Puerto Rico, the CUNY School of Medicine, and the CUNY Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program with surgeons, physicians, and other healthcare professionals for mentorship and career development.
As an expert in international human rights, Dr. Roure has conducted extensive research and served as a consultant and expert witness in cases addressing gender-based violence and systemic inequities. Her work spans Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the United States. She frequently presents these issues at global forums, including the United Nations, where she has addressed topics such as gender-based violence, state accountability, and international justice.

Her expertise has been featured in major media outlets, including Telemundo, CNN, CNN Español, PBS, Eyewitness News NYC, VICE, Brut Media, Wechester12news, and Fox5, where she provides insights on gender justice, humanitarian response, and educational access.

Dr. Roure has held prestigious academic and professional appointments with dozens of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union’s Campaign to End Mass Incarceration, as a Scholar in Residence at Inter American University School of Law in Puerto Rico and as a co-instructor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras.

At John Jay College, where she has served since 2000, Dr. Roure is an Associate Professor and Founding Director of both the Rising Scholars of Justice Pipeline Program and the JJC–University of Houston Law Center Pre-Law Pipeline Program. She teaches courses in gender rights, criminal justice, international human rights, and race, class, and ethnicity in the U.S.

A published scholar, Dr. Roure holds a Ph.D. in Transnational Studies (formerly American Studies) from the University at Buffalo-SUNY, where she was an Arturo A. Schomburg Fellow. She earned her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Spanish from Douglass College, Rutgers University. Early in her career, she was hired as a United States Supreme Court intern by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an experience that continues to inspire her dedication to justice and public service.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Roure brings a global perspective and deep expertise to her consulting work, partnering with organizations, institutions, and governments to foster leadership, drive systemic change, and build pathways to success for underserved communities.