Salt Lake City, Utah, December 6, 2017- The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA) announced today a symposium addressing the harassment, violence, and vitriol is present in many online spaces. The symposium will be held at the University of Utah on January 16, 2018. UCASA is welcoming professionals with expertise in all areas of sexual violence prevention and response to gather and facilitate a dialogue with attendees on emerging issues related to sexual violence in digital spaces.
Anyone who actively uses social media or online communications platforms knows that online spaces have grown increasingly unsafe. Our online spaces have fallen victim to unacceptable behavior that is no less damaging than violence in our communities. This symposium is designed to rise to this challenge and utilize primary prevention techniques and digital citiizenship principles to bring safety and justice to our online spaces.
–Turner C. Bitton, Executive Director
This thought-provoking, solution-oriented day of learning and action will focus on strategies to combat the rise of online misogyny, harassment, and violence by utilizing prevention strategies and proven interventions. This symposium is funded with sexual violence prevention funding authorized by the Utah Legislature in 2016 and 2017. The event is free and open to the public. Attached to this release you will find the biographies of those presenting at the conference. A detailed agenda will be available as the event draws nearer. Additional information and registration is available at ucasa.org/silicon.
Amber Morczek
Amber Morczek is a Ph.D. Candidate at Washington State University in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Amber’s research on violence toward women, rape culture, and pornography has been published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly, the International Journal of Cyber Criminology, Sexuality & Culture, and The Sexual Assault Report.
In addition to presenting at Universities across the country, she has also delivered presentations on her research to the following state and federal agencies: the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Battered Women's Justice Project.
Daniel Mueller
Daniel Mueller is a Ph.D. Candidate at Washington State University in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs studying environmental and climate change policy and community sustainability. He also works for the Division of Governmental Studies and Services as a research assistant, working on applied research projects for governmental agencies and nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest.
His research interests have led to publications on sustainability education and aviation biofuel, and his additional interests in environmental theory (including ecofeminism) and technology have led to more recent research projects and a publication on online misogyny in Sexual Assault Report.
Carrie Rogers-Whitehead
Carrie Rogers-Whitehead is an information professional, instructor, writer, event planner and digital and STEM advocate. She has led and collaborated across sectors in government, academia, nonprofit and business. She has years of experience in curriculum development and is a member of the Utah Instructional Materials Commission.
Carrie is passionate about providing access and opportunities for all and was the 2013 Utah Librarian of the Year, NACo Innovation Award winner and a Red Cross “Community Hero” for her projects with diverse populations. Carrie founded Digital Respons - Ability on those passions and principles: that by working across sectors and being open to innovation, we can improve access to all.