Agenda
Thursday April 16, 2026
Venue: Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building, Metropolitan University of Denver
Address: 1449 7th St, Denver, CO 80204
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Opening remarks by Dr. Lumina Albert, Associate Professor of Management and Business Ethics and Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Human Rights, Colorado State University |
| 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Welcome and Remarks/ Housekeeping by Steve Beaty, Professor of Aerospace, Computer Science, Engineering and Design, and Dr. Annjanette R. Alejano-Steele, Professor, Department of Health Professions. at Metropolitan State University of Denver |
| 10:30 AM – 10:50 AM | Title: “The State of Human Trafficking in Mexico: An Overview on Legislation and Trends” Presenter: Alessa S. Juárez, Ph. D, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Texas |
| 10:55 AM – 11:15 AM | Title: “Moving beyond counts: Maintaining Solidarity through Community-driven data” Presenters: Marla Sutherland, Research Manager, Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking and Dr. Dr. Annjanette R. Alejano-Steele, Professor, Department of Health Professions. at Metropolitan State University of Denver |
| 11:20 AM – 11:40 AM | Presentation 1: “Forensic interviewing and eliciting trial testimony from trafficking victims as a way of improving criminal investigations and prosecutions.“ Presentation 2: “Enhancing professionals’ ability to identify and respond when trafficking and exploitation are suspected” Presentation 3: “Analysis of county social service and juvenile court data on reports of minor exploitation and trafficking” Presenters: Sarah Kim, PhD Candidate, University of California, Irvine and Dr. Jodi Quas, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Irvine |
| 11:40 AM – 12:40 PM | Lunch break and networking |
| 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM | Keynote Speaker Dr. Richard Weiner, Charles Bessey Professor of Psychology and Law, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Title: “Emotion Regulation and Legal Decision-Making in Sex Trafficking Case” |
| 1:45 PM – 2:00 PM | Break |
| 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM | Title: “Justice Beliefs and Judgments of Sex Trafficking Survivor Culpability” Presenter: Elissa R. Wiener, PhD Candidate, University of New Hampshire |
| 2:25PM – 2:45 PM | Title: “Why are We Getting Human Trafficking Education and Prevention So Wrong? The Persistent Erasure of Intersectional Racism in Our Understandings of Missing, Stolen, Exploited, and Trafficked Youth” Presenters: Dr. Vincent Basile, Professor of Education, Colorado State University and Dr. Brooke Bisonette, Colorado State University |
| 2:50PM – 3:10 PM | Title: “Revising Colorado’s High Risk Victim Identification Tool: A Case Example of Cross-Sector Collaboration to Address Child and Youth Trafficking” Milena Casamassima, Lauren Alessi, Catie Fowler, Maria Trujillo, Sam Bruick, Camerron Resener, Marc Winokur Presenter: Milena Casamassima, Research Associate, School of Social Work, Colorado State University and Lauren Alessi, Research Associate and Associate Director, Social Work Research Center, Colorado State University |
| 3:15 PM – 3:25 PM | Discussions and conclusions by Dr. Karrin Anderson |
| 6:00 PM | 6:00 PM Networking event and dinner (Venue: TBD) |
