Marisa Auguste is a research associate at the Connecticut Transportation Institute at the University of Connecticut. Her research centers around human behavior and equity in transportation, specializing in traffic psychology, criminology and sociological theory, and behavior modification. She has served on the National Outreach Survey for Transportation study.
Read MoreDr. Kezban Yagci Sokat is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at San Jose State University with a passion for analytics for social good, especially in human trafficking. She serves on the U.S. Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking Research and Data Subcommittee.
Read MoreTommie Killen, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi local, is currently working on her PhD in Research, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment at the University of Southern Mississippi and also works as a graduate assistant. Ms. Killen recently obtained her Master of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi in Fall of 2023.
Read MoreRebecca Lavigne is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and faculty affiliate of USM's Center for Human Trafficking Research and Training. Dr. Lavigne is committed to inclusivity in education, advocating for diverse perspectives, and promoting the increased value of equitable practices in academic and social settings.
Read MoreKimberly Hogan is an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Social Work. In 2022, she co-founded the USM Center for Human Trafficking Research and Training (CHRT). Her research work spans the prevention, detection, identification, and treatment of minor and adult sex trafficking victims.
Read MoreSunny Wells, Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at the University of Southern Mississippi, focuses on critical citizenship and educational empowerment. A faculty affiliate of USM’s Center for Human Trafficking Research and Training, her research spans secondary and higher education, as well as residential settings for sexually trafficked youth, aiming to inform practical applications.
Read MoreGretchen Goode is an assistant professor of education at the University of Southern Mississippi. A faculty affiliate of USM’s Center for Human Trafficking Research and Training, Dr. Goode intertwines feminist, sociocultural, and posthuman theories to investigate literacy learning in a residential facility for juvenile survivors of trafficking.
Read MoreSsembatya Alex is the Founder and CEO of Make a Child Smile NGO, established in 2015 to combat child sacrifice, trafficking, and modern slavery in Uganda. With over a decade of experience in security and human trafficking investigations, Alex partners with various organizations to rescue victims and ensure justice.
Read MoreCranford Blackmon is a former Air Force officer, Federal Agent, police officer, and Army soldier. He is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, familial trafficking, and ritual abuse. Now he speaks and teaches to prevent violence, empower survivors, and support organizations serving survivors.
Read MoreNani Cuadrado is the Director of Education for HEAL Trafficking leading innovative health solutions to eradicate human trafficking worldwide. A physician assistant (PA) for over 20 years, she is a fierce ally for vulnerable populations and survivors of trafficking and was awarded AAPA’s 2021 PA of the Year for her work.
Read MoreLindsay Lieberman is the founder and managing attorney of Lindsay Lieberman, LLC, a legal services and consulting firm specializing in cyber sexual abuse and domestic violence. The firm provides direct legal services to victims and survivors in family court, criminal proceedings, and civil court, and offers proactive and preventative resources for schools, law enforcement agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations.
Read MoreNyki McNamee is a survivor of sex-trafficking who has dedicated her life to supporting other survivors of trafficking and exploitation. Nyki has experience as an advocate, housing facilitator, support group leader, and most recently she founded an organization for adult survivors called The. B.L.U.E. House.
Read MoreTamara Peacock is a full-time substitute teacher for Toledo Public Schools. This is her second Community Empathy Write. Tamara was a participant in two teacher writing retreats put on by Fearless Writers during COVID shutdown.
Read MoreGwendolyn Hooks is a doctoral student at The University of Toledo in Counselor Education and teaches classes at The University of Toledo. She is a licensed counselor in Michigan and works as project manager at the VA center for Clinical Management Research. She has a goal of increasing equity in quality mental health access.
Read MoreChantal Crane is a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. She is a long-time volunteer for Fearless Writers, and this is her second Community Empathy Write. Chantal is a self-published poet of the collection of poems, Goodbye, Terraceview, available on Amazon.
Read MoreTalacia Coleman is a recent MSW graduate who was an intern for Fearless Writers and participant in the Community Empathy Write. Talacia is the Assistant Director of Victim Services at the YWCA in Toledo, Ohio.
Read MoreS. M. Foysol Ahmed is a recent MSW graduate and was accepted to start his PhD program at the University of Kentucky in the fall 2024. Foysol joined the Community Empathy Write from Bangladesh. He has worked in Bangladesh advocating for climate and environmental justice. While completing his MSW from The University of Toledo, he worked with the HTSJI on anti- trafficking initiatives.
Read MoreHeather Sloane Cleary is an associate professor in the social work program at The University of Toledo. She is the co-creator of the Fearless Writers program, which is a poetry- informed, participatory action, autoethnography research project that explores injustice through intergenerational creative writing.
Read MoreLiliana Anthony is a Program Coordinator for the Arizona Human Trafficking Hotline and is currently working toward a master’s degree in Social Work at Arizona State University. She is passionate about serving vulnerable populations and is eager to continue learning and growing with the hotline.
Read MoreTanya Alegria, Program Coordinator of the Arizona Human Trafficking Hotline, brings over a decade of experience serving vulnerable populations. With lived experience, she has supported those struggling with mental illness, homelessness, and addiction and survivors and victims of trafficking. Tanya ensures they are seen, heard, respected, and empowered.
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