Dr. Noël Busch-Armendariz & Laurie Cook Heffron
Slavery has a long, notorious history in the United States. Though long illegal, slavery has transformed over the years, evolving into new forms. Though it often flies under our radar, modern forms of slavery are still common both in the United States and around the world.
In this podcast, Noël Busch-Armendariz and Laurie Cook Heffron discuss slavery in the modern world: human trafficking. In the course of their discussion, they define human trafficking and that various forms that it can take, as well as its prevalence in the United States and throughout the world. They also share information and strategies that social workers will find valuable in recognizing, understanding, and responding to human trafficking in their practice, research, and education.
Noël Bridget Busch-Armendariz is a full Professor at the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin teaching graduate courses in administration and planning, social policy, research, and domestic violence. She earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Social Work (MSW), and Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) degrees from the University of South Carolina. She is also a licensed social work and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Dr. Busch-Armendariz is the Associate Dean for Research and Principal Investigator of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. In addition to her work in the area of interpersonal violence, Dr. Busch-Armendariz is the Principle Investigator on several research projects exploring the needs of refugee and asylee families and victims of human trafficking. She has been recognized for her contributions to social work as the Recent Most Distinguished Contributions to Social Work Education by the Council on Social Work Education.
Laurie Cook Heffron is a research program coordinator and doctoral student with The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA), where she has contributed to multiple research projects since 2001. She also serves as editorial assistant to Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work. Laurie has both direct social work practice and research experience with a variety of communities, including refugees, victims of trafficking, asylees, and other immigrants in Central Texas. As a doctoral student, she is interested in exploring the experiences of, and relationships between, violence against women and migration to the United States. Laurie studied Linguistics at Georgetown University and earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) from The University of Texas at Austin. Laurie is a licensed social worker and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having worked in Niger, West Africa, with women and children in a rural community health initiative.
Interviewer: Hilary Weaver, MS, DSW
