Mammotsa Makhene

Mammotsa Makhene is the manager of strategic initiatives and planning for Humanities in Place. In this role, she provides planning, research, and grantmaking support for the initiative.

Before joining Mellon, Mammotsa was a research consultant focused on social justice work, analyzing the impact and outcomes of social programs on marginalized communities in both New York and South Africa. She serves as adjunct faculty at Hunter College, where she teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level students in the politics and social work departments. Her courses focus on race, racial inequality, human rights, and exploring oppression within social welfare policy. A Soweto native, Mammotsa began her career at Investec, one of South Africa’s leading investment banks.

She holds a BCom from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MA in economics from the New School for Social Research, and a PhD in public and urban policy from The New School, Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment.