Summer Work in the Lab

I am so excited to be returning to classes at Millikin and to my work at the Human Trafficking Research Lab, now located at Augustana University! With me staying at Millikin and Dr. Dean moving to Augustana, there has definitely been a transition period, but I can feel that we are getting back into the swing of things as the new school year settles in. 

I have completed pulling and categorizing articles from the Chicago Sun Times and have moved on to the Springfield State-Journal Register. It’s interesting already to see how different these two newspapers are. I have noticed that much of the coverage from the Chicago Sun Times regarding Human Trafficking is related to the crime itself, while more of the Springfield State-Journal Register articles have focused on prevention and community leaders.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on the opportunity I had to attend the inaugural Statewide Human Trafficking Conference in Peoria in May, just before the end of last semester. Attending the conference was a wonderful opportunity that really opened my eyes to the whole world of Human Trafficking prevention. It was a great privilege to hear so many professionals from different disciplines speak about their work.

I can’t wait to continue my work with the lab this semester, and although it may be from a greater distance, I know it is going to be a good year for us!

Cassidy Culjat

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