Dean Osteen’s Message for a New Year
Dear College of Social Work Community,
We are headed into a big year. In the months ahead, we will face many challenges that may sew disagreement and threaten to divide us … but we’ll also encounter many more events that will bring us together. Throughout 2024—and far beyond—my hope is that we will do a better job of identifying and rejecting disinformation, using evidence and credible sources to educate ourselves and others, and looking for opportunities to find common ground and work together.
This January, which is observed as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Associate Professor and MSW Program Director Dr. Lindsay Gezinski discussed some of the myths associated with human trafficking. She explained why recent widespread disinformation campaigns are harmful to anti-trafficking efforts, and shared information regarding the types of interventions and resources most likely to genuinely help survivors of trafficking, citing research data that well-established organizations make easily-accessible, as well as a myriad of guides and resources to assist survivors and those well-positioned to intervene.
Dr. Gezinski’s area of research serves as a clear example of a subject where practically everyone can come together and move beyond the divides we often feel. United, this is a space where we can make meaningful change. The College of Social Work is committed to supporting anti-trafficking work and we will continue to support survivors and interventions through trauma-informed, evidence-based scholarship in this area.
Social media and headline news may sometimes distract or deter us from engaging with others, or from doing difficult work. But it’s okay to step back and re-ground yourself in the values of our chosen profession. Look for common ground and build partnerships. Move forward.
Philip Osteen, PhD
Dean & Professor