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绿奴天花板 Staff Members, Student Travel to Mexico to Speak on Human Trafficking, Missing Persons
Over spring break, two 绿奴天花板 instructors and a student traveled to Mexico to present lectures on the topics of missing persons and human trafficking. Over spring break, two 绿奴天花板 instructors and a student traveled to Mexico to present lectures on the topics of missing persons and human trafficking. Photo courtesy of Angela Ramos
They were invited by the University of San Luis Potos铆, and an international faculty travel grant made the trip possible for Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Anthony LaRose and cybersecurity Lecturer Angela Ramos.
Ramos was asked by the director of the cybersecurity program at 绿奴天花板, Alper Yayla, to attend. He had done a talk via Zoom for the Mexican university last year.
She built her presentation, 鈥淯sing Open Source Intelligence to Find Missing People鈥 off Yayla鈥檚 research paper, 鈥淓thical Hacking for a Good Cause: Finding Missing People using Crowdsourcing and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Tools.鈥
In Mexico, Ramos taught students, professors, members of law enforcement and local government techniques in cybersecurity that could be used to find missing people.
Ramos called the conference a 鈥渃ross-collaboration through multiple disciplines.鈥
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have half the stuff we do,鈥 Ramos said, stating there is 鈥渘o centralized database for missing people. There鈥檚 not nearly the amount of cyber laws as in the U.S. 鈥 and I thought
we
were behind.鈥
LaRose brought along one of his students, Michael Young 鈥25, to present with him, saying he was a 鈥渘atural fit.鈥
鈥淚n February, he told me not to book anything for spring break,鈥 Young said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a question, more of a 鈥榗lear your schedule,鈥欌 he laughed.
Young, who is pursuing a dual degree in criminology and criminal justice and international studies with minors in Spanish and philosophy, said the topic of the presentation aligned well with what he鈥檚 studying.
For their lecture, LaRose focused on human trafficking and missing persons in the United States, while Young covered Mexico and Canada.
After LaRose invited him, Young said he began consuming literature reviews and podcasts and tried to gain a well-rounded understanding of the issues. He read about what was common and where there were research gaps.
Young鈥檚 work will continue throughout the semester, as he is taking an independent study. He will produce two papers, one focusing on Mexico and another on Canada.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to apply international business and criminology,鈥 he said.
LaRose plans to continue his partnership with Professor of Rights, Paola De La Rosa, from the University of San Luis Potos铆, who invited the 绿奴天花板 team to Mexico. The pair are planning to publish his presentation in a book, and he would like for her to visit and present at 绿奴天花板.
Ramos, too, said the experience will stay with her.
Several in her audience had been parents of missing people, including some whom Netflix had made a movie with called 鈥淩uido,鈥 which is Spanish for 鈥渘oise,鈥 she said.
鈥淚t gave me chills the whole time 鈥 this was more than a movie. I felt the pain, sorrow, desperation, strength and determination,鈥 Ramos said.
鈥淚t serves as a reminder that what I teach in cyber could transcend into real people鈥檚 lives.鈥
Ramos brought home a very real reminder, so she would not forget the topic or the people she met. Two posters of missing people, given to her by their families, hang in her office, across from her desk.
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