The Morrison-Novakovic Center for Faith and Public Policy at Davis & Elkins College will host a virtual discussion on human trafficking from 7-8:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 2. The presentation, titled “Human Trafficking in the US: What You Should Know, and What You Can Do,” will be presented by Carlow University Professor and Director of the Project to End Human Trafficking Dr. Mary Burke.
In addition, a representative from the Center Against Violence in Randolph County will offer brief introductory remarks, discussing the organization’s local efforts.
Members of the campus community will receive an email with the link to the Zoom presentation. Members of the public, alumni and others who do not have a D&E email account may email Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy Dr. Bryan Wagoner at wagonerb@dewv.edu to receive the link.
“There is a common misconception that human trafficking is an issue ‘elsewhere,’ but not in the U.S.,” Wagoner said. “Unfortunately, there are nearly 200,000 human trafficking cases per year. Even West Virginia is not immune; 38 cases were officially reported here in 2019. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Mary Burke back to D&E and look forward to learning both the extent of the problem, based on her research, and her suggestions for concrete things we can all do to combat this scourge.”
Burke, who serves as Professor of Psychology at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, co-founded and directs the non-profit organization Project to End Human Trafficking. The organization focuses on the elimination of human trafficking, especially women and children, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In addition, they seek to educate the general public, conduct research, advocate for victims’ support and collaborate with other organizations to eradicate human trafficking.
Dr. Mary Burke
