Meet Our Team

ACCREDITATION:

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and St. Thomas University Human Trafficking Academy and Familias Unidas International Inc. The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION:

The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This course is fully online. Fulfills the Florida Board of Medicine and Florida Physician Assistants requirement for human trafficking: The purpose of this course is to increase awareness among Medical Doctors and Physician Assistants of the reality of this phenomenon, how victims can be identified and the resources available for health care practitioners.

DISCLOSURE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST RESOLUTION:

All conflicts of interest of any individual(s) in a position to control the content of this CME activity will be identified and resolved prior to this educational activity being provided. Disclosure about provider and faculty relationships, or the lack thereof, will be provided to learners.

NURSING (FLORIDA):

This program has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Florida Board of Nursing for Continuing Education. Provider #50-2105. Credit Designation: The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies designates this seminar series for a maximum of 1.5 CEU credits for Florida Licensed Nurses only.

Prof. Juan Mezzich, MD, MA, MSc, PhD

Tenured Professor of Psychiatry
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York

Juan Enrique Mezzich was born in Lima and graduated from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University Medical School. He then completed Psychiatric Residency Training, a M.Sc. degree program in Academic Psychiatry and M.A. and Ph.D. degree programs in Mathematical & Statistical Psychology at Ohio State University, as well as certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

He served as chair of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Section on Classification and Diagnostic Assessment, member of the World Health Organization ICD-10 Mental Disorders Workgroup and the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV Task Force, and chair of the US NIMH Group on Diagnosis and Culture. He has authored over 350 scientific journal articles and book chapters and over 30 books, and received seven Doctor Honoris Causa degrees from universities in the Americas and Europe.

He has been President of the World Psychiatric Association and Founding President of the International College of Person Centered Medicine. Currently he is Tenured Professor of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, Hipolito Unanue Chair of Person Centered Medicine at San Marcos University School of Medicine in Lima, and Editor of the International Journal of Person Centered Medicine.

Dr. Heidi Schaeffer, MD

Visiting Scholar Faculty, University of Miami School of Nursing & Health Studies
Miami, Florida

Dr. Schaeffer earned her MD from the University of Miami School of Medicine; she was the Class of 1998’s elected “Ethics Representative” and inducted into the ODK Honor Society. Her Internal Medicine internship was completed at Jackson Memorial Medical Center. In 1993, she graduated college as Valedictorian with two Bachelors of Science (Psychology & Biology) and a Minor in Chemistry. Dr. Schaeffer has been a licensed FL physician since 2000 and has helped patients in private and public healthcare settings. For almost a decade, Dr. Schaeffer has committed her efforts to increasing awareness of Human Trafficking in fellow clinicians: She has educated Emergency Department staff and thousands of students and faculty throughout South Florida (e.g., Florida International University School of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University’s College of Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Bethesda Nursing School, Keiser University, and FAU’s College of Counselor Education). She is a Clinical Affiliate Assistant Professor at FAU College of Medicine and an Advisory Board member of NSU’s College of Healthcare Sciences. Most recently, she joined the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies to assist its efforts aimed at addressing Human Trafficking as the critical public health issue that it is; she contributed greatly to these initiatives and named the Academic Lab for Education & Training Against Human Trafficking in the SONHS Simulation Hospital for Advancing Research and Education (S.H.A.R.E. TM): As a proud alumna, Dr. Schaeffer recognizes UM’s excellence in clinical education and their survivor-centered approach to identifying and facilitating care for patients who are being, or have been trafficked.

Dr. Schaeffer is a nationally recognized expert in HT awareness and intervention; she has already been invited twice to Washington DC to speak before US Congress members—last presented this January. Dr. Schaeffer has been instrumental in developing and helping to pass Human Trafficking legislation at local, state, and federal levels. She has lectured before criminal justice and post-Doc (policy) students at FAU, NSU, and the esteemed Human Trafficking Academy at the St. Thomas School of Law. Dr. Schaeffer’s work has been featured in multiple media interviews/videos and publications. She was awarded the State of Florida’s “Human Trafficking Advocate of the Year Award” at the 2017 Human Trafficking Summit. Dr. Schaeffer closely collaborates with several HT Task Forces and has served on the executive boards of many coalitions (Broward Human Trafficking Coalition, 1HTC, CREATE, and [Immediate Past-President of] Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches). She is an Advisory Board member of KidSafe Foundation and Place of Hope, and has been re-elected the District 1 Director of Soroptimist International of the Americas’s Southern Region. For many years, Dr. Schaeffer has been an active voice of the American Medical Women’s Association and its Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans Committee.

Virginia Akar, Esq.

Founder & President
Strong Girls Inc.
Miami, Florida

Virginia M. Akar is an attorney and human rights advocate who is dedicated to bringing about positive social change in her community, with particular focus on disrupting the cycle of poverty. Her vision of eliminating poverty through education led to the founding of Strong Girls, Inc., an anti-poverty initiative whose mission is to eliminate the obstacles to higher education and career faced by girls in disadvantaged communities. Ms. Akar has had a career in the public interest sector since her early days of practicing law as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County in 1994. From there, she took a few years off to raise her family, and gradually returned to a service-oriented career. In 2013, she co-founded her first non-profit organization Young Musicians Unite, which currently provides free in-school and after-school music programs throughout Miami-Dade County. She maintains an active role on the Executive Committee and Board of that organization. In 2016 she earned her Master of Laws in Intercultural Human Rights from St. Thomas University School of Law, which was in large part the catalyst for the founding of Strong Girls, Inc.

Ilaria Borrelli

Italian Actress and Activist

Illaria Borrelli started her career as an actress in film and television. She evolved into writer, screenwriter, actress, and director. Born in 1968, she graduated in piano at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia. She attended the Academy of Dramatic Art and later studied in the United States where she attended the Actors’ Studio. Soon after, studied Directing & Screenplay at New York University. She starred in several Italian and French television series and films. Her first novel, “Scosse”, awarded by the Italian Literary Club, received an honorable mention from the Florence Prize and the Prévert Prize, and was a finalist in the Calvino Prize. Her other novels include Tremblings, Luccatmi, Tomorrow We Shoot, and Much Noise About Tullia, which are mainly autobiographical stories from her personal experience dealing with gender discrimination in Italy–with just a touch of irony.

Her artist works and passion led her to work on Our Italian Husband was born, with Brooke Shields, Mariagrazia Cucinotta, Pierfrancesco Favino and Chevy Chase. She wanted to do a feminist comedy that showcased women making it out on their own. Light and funny, easy to digest, but still an antithesis to the environment she grew up in. Her second Film Wine with Kisses starring Murray Abraham and Bernadette Peters hit the same mark, but everything changed creatively when she made The Girl from the Brothel. Ms. Borrelli explored the darker aspects of humanity and touched upon the subject of child trafficking. Her first real taste in visual advocacy.

Dr. Cheyenne Luzynski

Affiliate Faculty, Institute for Ethical Leadership
St. Thomas University
Teaching Assistant Professor, Leadership Studies
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Dr. Cheyenne Luzynski received her PhD in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. Her dissertation was a historical analysis of women’s emergence into intercollegiate athletic leadership at a Normal institution. While at EMU, she was the catalyst in creating and directing the Interdisciplinary LEADership minor and taught in the higher education student affairs master’s program. Prior to EMU, she was a head volleyball coach and assistant athletic director at Alma College. She has a rich playing, coaching and mentoring background with NCAA Division I and III intercollegiate athletic programs. Dr. Luzynski graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Sport Administration. In her graduate pursuits, she was a 2014 NCAA Research Grant recipient, a 2013 ASHE policy seminar graduate fellow and honored as “Lecturer of the Year” by the Eastern Michigan University Honors College. With passions in athletics, leadership and student development, her research agenda includes issues related to equity and culture within the organizational context of higher education.

Maria Vega

Instructor, Institute for Ethical Leadership
St. Thomas University
Miami, Florida

Maria Vega serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Institute of Ethical Leadership. She earned her B.A. in Business Management from St. Thomas University in 2019 with a cumulative GPA of 3.83. She is now pursuing her Masters in Ethical Leadership while continuing her soccer career at St. Thomas.

Ms. Vega brings a unique perspective of leadership to the team as she is the St. Thomas University Women’s Soccer Team Captain. She has been an invited Guest Speaker at Captain’s Summits for Student Aces for Leadership and contributes to building better student-athletes by coaching at Mater Lakes High School. Ms. Vega is the President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at St. Thomas University where she serves to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image.

As a senior, Ms. Vega participated in the International Leadership Association’s 21^st Annual Global Conference in the Undergraduate Case Competitions in Ottawa, Canada where the team placed 3^rd globally. The case that they created addressed the cognitive, emotional, and physical wellness of student-athletes through a three-phase leadership development initiative with the NAIA.

Ms. Vega brings a vast amount of experience from previous internships that she has worked in. In 2019, Maria worked with CONCACAF as the Women’s Football Intern under FIFA Legend, Karina Leblanc. CONCACAF is one of FIFA’s 6 continental governing bodies for football. It governs 41 countries throughout North America, Central America & the Caribbean. She assisted in analyzing data from each Member Association and developing a Women’s Football Strategy development and implementation plan. Ms. Vega has also worked in internships such as Eberjey, a clothing brand that produces intimate apparel, loungewear, resort wear, and swimwear where she was Purchasing Intern and in Sherwin-Williams, an American Fortune 500 company in the general building materials industry, as a Sales/Management Intern.

Mariela Drago

Ligas Femeninas de Fútbol 7
Lima, Peru

Professional accountant with over five years of experience in banking, analyzing credit risks of corporate companies. She has an MBA in Sports Management from Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid (Spain). Currently, she is CEO of Ligas Femeninas de Fútbol 7, a Peruvian social enterprise that promotes the empowerment of women through soccer.

Thalia Simich

Ligas Femeninas de Fútbol 7
Lima, Peru

Professional Lawyer holding a Diploma of Specialist on Sustainable Development and Community Leadership. Since 2017, is dedicated to organizing, alliance building, public relations, fundraising and program development that involve youth, women and communities to promote awareness, development and growth. Currently, is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Sustainability of Ligas Femeninas de Futbol 7, a Peruvian social enterprise that promotes women empowerment through football.

Sadick Abubakar

Youth President
United African Congress
Washington, D.C.

Chair of Youth Affairs Sadick Abubakar is a Graduate from the University of Maryland-College Park, where he received his Master’s degree with honors in Mechanical Engineering in May of 2014. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. There he led a team in the redesign of the Mini Baja Car intended for farmers in Ghana, West Africa. He is the recipient of the Emerging Leaders Award given to him by Council woman Diane Foster and is a political advisor to many aspiring politicians and strategists. He can speak 5 languages and considers himself to being once a Ghanaian but now identifies as an African – meaning he believes in a United Africa. He is the National Youth President and Coordinator at the United African Congress, where he represents African youth throughout the United States of America. He is a proud Muslim and represented the Muslim community as the Logistics Coordinator at I am a Muslim too Rally. He continually gives back to the community by mentoring and tutoring in the subjects of both mathematics and science.

Mr. Abubakar represented the Kwame Nkrumah family to retrieve Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s (First elected president of Ghana and a father of Pan Africanism) 40 years lost dairy. He is an advocate for humanity in the areas of women and children, ending violence, and an Africa that is self-sufficient and continues to develop strategic means of achieving this. He was an architect of the Million signatures for Africa’s unification which was accepted by 16 African Heads of States for the need to lay out mechanisms for unification. He is a founding partner of Legatum Strategies, an African owned lobbying group in Washington, D.C.

Aderonke Ige, Esq.

Humanitarian Attorney
Lagos, Nigeria

Ms. Aderonke Ige is a humanitarian attorney, equity advocate, social impact practitioner, and currently Associate Director at the Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa.

She has been actively involved in the promotion of a humane and efficient society that enhances participatory development and inclusive governance through legislative advocacy, development knowledge facilitation, training, grassroots enlightenment, youth mentoring and child rights advocacy.

With visible passion for subject matters of social justice, governance, human rights and gender justice, she has undertaken several public interest and humanitarian projects on gender-based violence, child’s rights, youth development and criminal justice reform. Ms. Ige also founded Help Initiative for Social Justice & Humanitarian Development in 2018 to advance humane causes.

Dr. Roza Pati

Founder & Director, The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy
Executive Director, LL.M./J.S.D. in Intercultural Human Rights
St. Thomas University School of Law
Member, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2012-2017), The Vatican

Dr. Roza Pati is a tenured Professor of Law at St. Thomas University School of Law, where she also co-directs the programs of Master of Laws (LL.M) and the Doctorate of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) in Intercultural Human Rights. Inspired by her work and expertise against human trafficking since the early 1990s, Dr. Pati founded in 2010 the Human Trafficking Academy, an institute she continues to direct. She is a former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Member serving as the Secretary of State for Youth and Women of Albania.

Dr. Pati is a polyglot and a prolific scholar, who has written extensively in the field of international law, human rights, comparative law and jurisprudence, human trafficking, international criminal law, and she is a proponent of the New Haven School of Jurisprudence. She is a globally published author of books, book chapters and law review articles in multiple languages and she lectures at academic, governmental and inter-governmental institutions around the world. She earned a Doctorate of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) degree, summa cum laude, at the University of Potsdam, Germany; a LL.M., summa cum laude, at St. Thomas University School of Law, and a B.A., highest honors, and LL.B., honors, at the University of Tirana, Albania. Dr. Pati is Faculty Adviser of the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review and member of the Editorial Board of the international series: Studies in Intercultural Human Rights, published by BRILL/ Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

She is recipient of multiple honors and awards, including the academic award of the Wolf Rüdiger Bub Prize for the Promotion of the New Generation of Legal Scholars, for the best doctoral dissertation, University of Potsdam School of Law, Germany (2009), and she serves in several civil society boards and committees. Dr. Pati was the Commencement Speaker at the 2014 ceremony at the Carlos Albizu University, Miami, and in 2010 at the Luarasi University School of Law (country’s leading private law school), Tirana, Albania.

Some of her publications on human trafficking include:

Global Regulation of Corporate Conduct: Effective Pursuit of a Slave-Free Supply Chain, 68 American U. L. Rev. 1821 (2019); Trafficking in Human Beings: The Convergence of Criminal Law and Human Rights Law, in the SAGE Handbook of Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery (2018, SAGE Publications); People on the Move: The Vulnerability of Migrants and Human Trafficking, in Refugiados, Imigrantes e Igualdade dos Povos – Estudos em Homenagem a António Guterres (2017, Brazil); From the Graceful Sari to the Scourge of Dowry: Indian Women in the Crucible of Tradition, 8 Kerala U. J. of Legal Studies (2015, India); Marshalling the Forces of Good: Religion and the Fight Against Human Trafficking, 9 Intercultural Hum. Rts. L. Rev. 1 (2014), also published as Blueprint, by Caritas in Veritate Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland; The Categorical Imperative to End Modern-Day Slavery: Subsidiarity, Privatization, and the State’s Duty to Protect, in Der Staat Im Recht. 1219 (2013, Germany); Trading in Humans: A New Haven Perspective, 20 Asia Pacific L. Rev. 135 (2012, Hong Kong); Human Trafficking: An Issue of Human and National Security, 4 Nat’l Security and Armed Conflict L. Rev. 29 (2014); No Cierre Sus Ojos: La Trata Existe–The Global Effort to Combat Human Trafficking: Its Strengths & Weaknesses, in Libro de Derecho Penal Especial (2012, Colombia); Combating Human Trafficking Through Transnational Law Enforcement Cooperation: The Case of South Eastern Europe, in Policing Across Borders: The Role of Law Enforcement in Global Governance (2012, Springer); Beyond the Duty to Protect: Expanding Accountability and Responsibilities of the State in Combating Human Trafficking, in The Diversity of International Law: Essays in Honour of Kalliopi Koufa 319 (2009, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers); Der Schutz der EMRK bei Menschenhandel: Rantsev v. Zypern und Russland, 3 Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (2011, Germany).

Gabriela DeBellis

J.S.D. Candidate 2020, Intercultural Human Rights
St. Thomas University School of Law
NGO Strategy Advisor & Consultant

Gabriella DeBelis is a strategic bilingual executive with a demonstrated history of working in marketing and distribution, corporate settings, social ventures and non-profit organizations. Skilled in business development, integrated marketing, diversity and corporate responsibility, negotiations, project management, developing relationships, public speaking, research and writing. She has a Master’s degree focused on International Law and Intercultural Human Rights.

Her human trafficking expertise include her experience as:

▪ Co-Editor-in-Chief, Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, St. Thomas University School of Law

▪ Law Research Assistant with Professor Roza Pati, St. Thomas University School of Law

▪ Guest Lecturer on Human Trafficking, Florida International University

▪ South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force

▪ Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force

▪ Vice President, Chair of Board of the organization: The Ignition Fund

▪ Director Marketing & Distribution (Fox Networks)

Liza E. Smoker, Esq.

Managing Director
The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy
St. Thomas University School of Law

Liza E. Smoker, Esq., is Managing Director of The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy. She graduated from Florida State University with degrees in Multinational Business and Real Estate, where she returned to receive her law degree. She was formally educated on human trafficking at St. Thomas University School of Law’s LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, and served as LL.M. Editor-in-Chief of the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review.

Prior to joining the Academy, Ms. Smoker spent ten years in the private practice of law where she became the first woman partner in her firm’s 90-year history. She served as president of the Broward County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, which was recognized as Affiliate of the Year by the Florida Bar YLD largely due to her leadership.

Ms. Smoker also served in the public sector. She worked in the Executive Office of the Governor of Florida, prosecuted crimes as a CLI in the Leon County State Attorney’s Office, and served as a White House Legal Intern in the Office of the Counsel to the President of the United States.

In 2017, Ms. Smoker spearheaded more than twenty events focused on the harmful effects of pornography and its link to commercial sexual exploitation as one of the prevalent forms of human trafficking. She led a grassroots campaign in support of Florida House Resolution 157 on the issue that passed in 2018 with bipartisan support.

Ms. Smoker is a Women’s History Month Honoree of the Broward County Commission on the Status of Women, recipient of the Paul May Professionalism in Practice Award from the Broward County Bar Association, an AV Preeminent rated attorney for the highest level of legal ability and ethical standards, and a national semi-finalist and regional champion in trial advocacy competitions by the American Bar Association.

In 2019, Ms. Smoker was one of 60 Scholars chosen nationwide as a Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS). The PLS Program is a partnership among the Presidential Centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and designed for mid-career leaders from diverse backgrounds who share a commitment to helping solve society’s greatest challenges.

Lerina Bright

Founder, Mission 89
Geneva, Switzerland

Lerina Bright is the founder of Mission 89, a research, education and advocacy NGO headquartered in Geneva, which addresses child trafficking in sport. Through grassroots and digital campaign initiatives the organization raises awareness of the trafficking phenomena among youth in a space that has become increasingly targeted by fraudsters posing as agents. The ultimate goal of the organization is to advocate for and facilitate a process that brings about policies which create a safe pathway for youth in pursuit of a professional career in sport.

Ms. Bright has a long history in sports management and administration which include roles with national and international sport federations in Europe, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean. She holds an M.A. Sport Administration from the AISTS in Lausanne, Switzerland and B.A. International Studies & Economics from the University of Miami, Florida.

Savannah Parvu

Survivor Leader & Speaker
Florida, U.S.A.

Savannah Parvu has a passion for writing and speaking about the hope she has found after many years of abuse. She is involved in survivor leadership through active prevention and awareness activities. She routinely shares her experiences with the public to grow knowledge of the tragic issue of familial trafficking within the commercial sex trafficking arena. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the subject. She has lived a life of abuse and she refuses to sit back and continue to be a victim. In 2017, Savannah received the Freedom Award from Florida Abolitionist. In 2016, she received the Polaris Star Award from The Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force for Survivor of the Year. The wounds from her past are being healed and it’s her desire to be a voice for the voiceless.

Daphne Njie

Cameroonian Afro Beats Vocalist & Performing Artist

Daphne Njie is a Cameroonian singer who has become beloved by her fans for incorporating a wide variety genre into her music, including afrobeat, R&B, makossa and bikutsi. Some of her most popular songs are “Calée,” “Promets Moi” and “Jusqu’à La Gare.” She is also an Activist for Gender Based Violence and CEO of BeWoman.

Dr. Abadir Ibrahim

LL.M. & J.S.D. in Intercultural Human Rights
Head of Secretariat, Legal and Justice Affairs Advisory Council
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Dr. Abadir M. Ibrahim received his J.S.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights and has two LL.M. degrees, one in international law and one in human rights law. His experience encompasses work in both practical and academic settings including in advocacy. As a legal practitioner he has had a working experience with criminal law and procedure and has some experience in labor rights and constitutional litigation. His academic experience includes teaching, among others, human rights law, private international law, constitutional law, and legal history. He currently lectures at St. Thomas University School of Law on the topic of human rights and religion in relation to Islamic law-ethics. He has published in academic journals on a variety of human rights and international law topics and his advocacy publications also extend to non-academic outlets. His current research interests include democratization and human rights in Islam.

Kanathy N. Haney, PhD, CHES, CPH

Professor of Health Sciences and Education
PBSC Human Trafficking Coalition Chair
Palm Beach State College

Dr. Kanathy Haney is a health sciences professor and chair of the human trafficking coalition at Palm Beach State College and guest lecturer at the University of Florida. Dr. Haney is working to spread awareness and prevention of human trafficking from a public health social work perspective. She believes that by better understanding the nature of trauma she can create evidence-based community interventions and harm reduction strategies. Dr. Haney advocates for a multi-disciplinary approach to reduce mental health and substance use issues among human trafficking victims and survivors by implementing an effective trauma-informed and survivor-centered continuum of care. She also places importance on the ability of professionals in the field to identify those affected by human trafficking, associated risk factors and intersections. Dr. Haney is a member of the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches and the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force. Her goal is to advocate the public health issue of human trafficking around the globe to reduce health disparities and enhance social justice. Dr. Haney received her doctorate in public health at the University of Florida in which she focused her dissertation on sex trafficking in the United States. She received a masters of science in health education and promotion as well as her bachelors of social work degree with a child welfare certificate from Florida Atlantic University.

Ronke Giwa Onafuwa

Broadcaster and Girl-Child Advocate

Ronke Giwa Onafuwa is an award-winning broadcaster, a girl-child advocate and convener of Who’s that Girl Nigeria (Awtg_Nigeria), a forum that has been successfully held for four years and is geared at empowering impressionable young girls in their teenage years. She is also the convener of @ TalkMummy, an online support group/community for Mums based in Ibadan.

She currently works with SPLASH 105.5 FM, Ibadan where she is a manager, and also hosts the Morning Splash. She is married with children.

Irene Atim, LL.M.

UN Women

Irene Atim is a feminist lawyer and policy analyst at UN Women in New York. Her work focuses on empowering women and ending violence against women and girls – particularly those most marginalized and at greater risk of experiencing violence.

Irene is interested in creating platforms that give access to women’s voices and which provide content that fully acknowledges and respects women’s humanity in their different capacities and complexities. As a practitioner of feminist politics, she co-founded an online platform that provides a space for African women to counter patriarchal narratives in the news.

She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Kutisha Ebron

PhD in Ethical Leadership Student
UNDP, UN Women, WEI Forward

Kutisha Ebron is a passionate social inclusion professional with over 15 years of career experience within the United Nations system. She served on the United Nations Secretary-General High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment. The programs she has worked on span the world’s regions, covering social innovation areas that include ending violence against women, gender equality, women, peace & security, and social integration. Ms. Ebron has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Towson University and holds a Master’s Degree in Management from St. Thomas University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Ethical Leadership at St. Thomas University.

Research

The Academy conducts research and generates publications to advance knowledge, and develop local, national and global solutions to combat human trafficking. The Academy has pioneered publications in the field of human trafficking such as on issues of domestic servitude, intersection of migration and human trafficking, supply chains etc. J.S.D. students are actively involved in research and writing on major human trafficking legal topics, in the U.S. and in other nations. Current scholarship on cutting-edge human trafficking issues is regularly published in the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review of St. Thomas University School of Law, which is globally recognized for academic impact.

Law & Policy

The Academy instructs on best practices, procedures, law and policy on issues related to the crime of trafficking in persons. The Miami Declaration of Principles on Human Trafficking, a set of law and policy recommendations for decision makers, has been influential domestically and abroad since 2005. The Academy offers testimonies, expert opinions and feedback on resolutions, ordinances, bills, laws etc., both at local and global level.

Survivor Empowerment

The Academy aims to empower survivor leadership in our global community. We do this by offering presentations and trainings by survivor leaders, who inform our work against human trafficking with their perspectives and experiences. The Academy also keeps an open door to survivors of human trafficking to satisfy their training needs, simultaneously welcoming their guidance on our initiatives.

Education

The Academy develops education programs for those with the greatest capacity and ability to impact human trafficking. It has shined a light on modern-day slavery by hosting numerous symposia, seminars, roundtables, and educational events for government officials, law enforcement, lawyers, judges, healthcare providers, academics, students, researchers, faith-based institutions and beyond, in the United States and abroad. Annually, the Academy offers its renowned 15-course Summer Academy, which is an advanced certification for leaders at the forefront of combatting human trafficking.

Dr. Lujain Alhajji, MD

Psychiatry, THRIVE Clinic
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Dr. Lujain Alhajji completed her Psychiatry Residency as well as her Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatry fellowship at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Alhajji currently serves as an Assistant Professor, working mainly in the Division of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is the psychiatry attending at the University of Miami’s THRIVE (Trafficking Healthcare Resources and Intra-Disciplinary Victim Services and Education) collaborative care clinic for survivors of human trafficking. She is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is highly involved in clinical education, working closely with medical students, psychiatry residents, and CL fellows.

Imelda Medina, MD, MPH

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
President, Familias Unidas International, Inc.
Miami, Florida

Imelda Mercedes Medina, MD MPH graduated from Ponce School of Medicine, PR, USA (MD Degree) and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences (MPH Degree). She was born to serve and practices Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with a focus on Person and People Centered Care at the local and global level. Dr. Medina is a proud member of Rotary Club of Miami Airport, Founder and Chair of the Rotarian Public Health Fellowship, and her 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is called Familias Unidas International, Inc. In addition, Dr. Medina provides assistance with health education and self-care through the Public Health Academy she started, donating 2/3 of her earnings for charitable causes.

Dr. Stephen N. Symes, MD, FACP

Primary Care Clinician, THRIVE Clinic
University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Dr. Stephen Symes, M.D., FACP is a Internal Medicine Specialist in Miami, Florida, and has over 31 years of experience in the medical field. He completed his medical education at Howard University in 1989, and Internal Medicine residency at Jackson Memorial Medical Center in 1992. Dr. Symes joined the faculty in 1997 as Associate Director, and then Program Director for Internal Medicine, until 2015. With his main clinical activities in HIV and AIDS, he developed a pathway to train future physician leaders in global and domestic health program administration and advocacy. With medical students at Miller, and JMH Internal Medicine residents, Dr. Symes started the Human Rights clinic at San Juan Bosco for asylum seekers who are victims of torture and abuse. The clinic has seen over 200 patients. Dr. Symes also serves as primary care clinician in T.H.R.I.V.E. a UM-JMH clinic for victims of Human Trafficking here in South Florida. Dr. Symes’ background as a medical educator, and work with disadvantaged populations, allows him to mentor young scholars toward health equity and advocacy in medical care and public health.

Prof. Panagiota V. Caralis, MD, JD, FACP

Medical Director, THRIVE Clinic
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Dr. Panagiota Caralis is a triple graduate of the University of Miami, receiving her BS, MD and JD degrees. She is a Professor of Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami and serves as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Medical Director of the Women Veterans’ Health Program at the Miami VA. She has taught courses at both the medical and law school in ethics and health law and has published research which spans both disciplines. Currently, she directs a Medical Legal clinic serving veterans and a Health Law Pathway Program, which integrates the legal education for medical students throughout their medical school careers. She is a part of the T.H.R.I.V.E. clinic which is an interdisciplinary clinic at JMH/UM which provides medical care for survivors of Human Trafficking. She and Dr. JoNell Potter received the Innovators Award for their efforts from the State Attorney’s Office for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and she serves on the State Attorney’s Council addressing Human Trafficking.

Sambra Zaoui, LCSW, CCTP, Certified EMDR

Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
Center for Human Rights & Social Justice: Lead Faculty Human Trafficking Initiative
Barry University

For the past twenty years Sambra Zaoui has practiced and studied the relationship childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has on adult intimate interpersonal functioning; and for the last ten years, its direct relationship to domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). In fall 2016, The Lighthouse Effect: A therapeutic conversation about childhood sexual abuse and its relationship to commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking was published in Crime and Punishment in America: An Encyclopedia of Trends and Controversies in the Justice System, and in summer 2018, Mrs. Zaoui completed a chapter: Humanizing Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation through a Trauma Informed Person-In-Environment Lens for Social Work Practitioners in the Gender, Sexuality and Peace Education: Issues and Perspectives in Higher Education.

As an active licensed clinical social worker, certified clinical trauma professional, and an EMDR therapist, she actively engages individuals and couples with complex sexual trauma histories in her private practice. She further served as an advisory board member to The Life of Freedom Center (an anti-trafficking organization that serves adult women), as well as an educational consultant, community trainer, and crisis phone and community outreach specialist to women affected by commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking. In broadening her anti-trafficking efforts, for a season, she also served as an advisory board member to Ark of Freedom Alliance (an anti-trafficking non-profit organization that serves males and the LGBTQ community). Mrs. Zaoui is often invited to present locally and nationally on the aforementioned population from a trauma informed care and trauma intervention stance, as such, Mrs. Zaoui was asked to join the Florida Human Trafficking Clinical Treatment & Intervention sub-group charged to identify research based best practices for DMST, CSEC and adults.

In her most recent accomplishment, Mrs. Zaoui successfully piloted the first Advanced Clinical Trauma Informed Human Trafficking Certification Program designed to equip practitioners working with survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation at Barry University, where for the past ten years she has served as a faculty member in the School of Social Work. Currently, she is working on a phenomenological research study which focuses on the resilience of both female and male survivors who use their lived experiences (survivor leaders/thrivers) to serve, mentor, counsel and/or guide other survivors on their restorative healing journey.

Prof. Michael S. Vastine

Professor of Law & Director, Immigration Clinic
St. Thomas University School of Law

Professor Michael Vastine joined the faculty of St. Thomas University School of Law in 2004, where he is a tenured professor of law and Director of the Immigration Clinic. A frequent conference speaker and author, he is also a leader of the immigration bar, with extensive service within the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). From 2011-20, he was elected to serve on the AILA South Florida Chapter Board of Directors, including a term as Chair of the Chapter. Professor Vastine’s AILA national-level service includes multiple terms on the Federal Litigation Section Steering Committee, Annual Conference Planning Committee, and Amicus Curiae Committee. His impact litigation principally relates to immigration and crimes, including the lead case at the Florida Supreme Court establishing the constitutional rights of immigrant defendants to effective representation by their criminal counsel, and multiple cases at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit delineating the immigration consequences of Florida convictions involving controlled substances. Additionally, he has represented AILA and other community-based organizations, as amicus curiae counsel, in forums ranging from the Board of Immigration Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, in matters including the constitutional limits of indefinite detention of immigrants, the due process rights of the physically deported, and the immigration consequences of state crimes. In 2013, Professor Vastine received the AILA (National) Elmer Fried Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Ignacio J. Vázquez Jr.

Chief of the Special Prosecutions Section
U.S. Attorney’s Office, SDFL

Ignacio J. Vázquez Jr. is an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Mr. Vázquez received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Florida State University. He received a Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University, where he graduated magna cum laude and served as the St. Thomas University Law Review’s Managing Editor. Mr. Vázquez continued his legal education, completing a Master of Laws in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami. While serving as a prosecutor, he has participated in various continuing education programs, including completion of a Graduate Certificate in Death Investigation from the University of Florida.

Before joining the United States Attorney’s office, Mr. Vázquez practiced law as a civil and criminal litigator. After completing his Juris Doctor, Ignacio was employed as an associate attorney with Blank and Cooper, P.A., where he specialized in catastrophic injury and wrongful death maritime litigation. During his service as an Assistant State Attorney, Mr. Vázquez held positions in the County Court, Juvenile, and Felony Divisions, until his last assignment with the Gang Prosecution Unit. During his final post in the Gang Prosecution Unit, he served as a cross designated Special Assistant United States Attorney, where he participated in the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative coordinating State and Federal firearm and gang-related prosecutions.

Mr. Vázquez has served as an AUSA since January of 2013 and has rotated through the Appellate Division, Major Crimes Section, before starting his tenure in the Special Prosecutions Section in April of 2014. In 2019, he was promoted to serve as the Special Prosecutions Section’s Deputy Chief. In February 2020, Mr. Vázquez was assigned to serve as the Special Prosecutions Section’s Chief and the District’s Violent Crime Coordinator. He has prosecuted several criminal groups engaged in racketeering, homicides, robberies, human trafficking and smuggling, along with the fraud and money laundering offenses used to keep these schemes afloat. Mr. Vázquez’s has received a commendation from the City of Miami, the United States Office’s Timothy Evans Award, the Miami-Dade County Chiefs of Police Federal Prosecutor of the year, and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance as Assistant United States Attorney.

Mr. Vázquez is admitted to practice law before State of Florida Courts and United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He is also a member of the Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, Florida League of Prosecutors, the International Homicide Investigators Association, and the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime. He has previously served as an instructor for the Miami-Dade Public Safety Institute in the fields of organized crime, gangs, and conspiracy investigations.

Johanna Oliver Rousseaux, Esq.

Of Counsel, Jones Day
President, Americans for Immigrant Justice
Presidential Leadership Scholar

Ms. Johanna Rousseaux advises clients on the resolution of complex disputes before U.S., foreign, and international tribunals. With almost 30 years of experience working in Latin America and Europe, Ms. Rousseaux understands the cultural contexts of disputes and brings a unique perspective to resolving them. She works closely with in-house and foreign counsel, witnesses, and experts to develop a cohesive strategy capable of straddling widely different legal systems. Ms. Rousseaux has extensive experience with state, federal, and appellate litigation, cross-border discovery, trial before foreign tribunals, private and treaty-based arbitration, mediation, and consultation with government agencies.

Ms. Rousseaux represents one of the world’s largest energy companies and saw the company through an historic case involving a foreign government, its state oil company, individual plaintiffs, and the international coalition of lawyers and activists who supported them.

Ms. Rousseaux also is a dedicated pro bono lawyer, repeatedly winning recognition from the nonprofit agencies she collaborates with. She helped establish the Firm’s Laredo Project, serving as one of the lead lawyers “on the ground” on the Texas border providing representation to asylum seekers in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.

Before joining Jones Day, Ms. Rousseaux headed the conflict resolution and prevention program at the Arias Foundation, founded by Nobel Peace laureate and president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias. Working closely with Dr. Arias taught Ms. Rousseaux the power of leadership through service. In addition to her pro bono work, Ms. Rousseaux sits on the board of directors of Americans for Immigrant Justice, the public policy committee of United Way, and the executive council of United Way’s Women United.

Myriam Mézadieu

Chief Operating Officer
Catholic Legal Services
Archdiocese of Miami, Inc.

Ms. Myriam Mézadieu began her career with the Catholic Emergency Legal Aid for Haitians in Miami, a branch from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. She not only took over the daily operation of CELAH, she acted as community liaison with local partners and the USCIS, formerly known as INS. On June 1, 1994 she co-founded the G.W.L. Legal Project, which subsequently was restructured as Catholic Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Inc., (CLS) when CLINIC-Miami merged with G.W.L. Legal Project. She currently serves as the chief operating officer of Catholic Legal Services. Supervising a seasoned team of immigration professionals, Ms. Mézadieu is committed to serving the under-privileged immigrant community of South Florida, as well as religious workers from all over the world. Volunteering for Catholic and social causes is a mission close to her heart, actively volunteering in several Catholic parishes in Haiti and United States and community centers. She holds a BA in Business Law with a minor in Communications and Management and a master’s degree in International Affairs.

Thear Suzuki

Americas Advisory Talent Leader, Ernst & Young
Presidential Leadership Scholar

Ms. Thear Suzuki’s personal purpose is to inspire courageous in others so they can lead more impactful lives. As EY’s Americas Advisory Talent Leader, Ms. Suzuki aims to create an inclusive culture for 21,000 professionals to grow their careers and build a better working world as part of $7B consulting business. Previous roles have included Advisory Mananging Partner for the Southwest Region and client service roles focused on large and complex technology programs. Thear is passionate about building leadership and philanthropic capacity in others to improve lives. At EY, she serves on the Americas Advisory Women’s Leadership Steering Committee, the Americas Inclusiveness Advisory Council, and Executive Sponsor of leadership development programs that build strong, innovative, and courageous leaders for the 21st century.

In the community, Ms. Suzuki is active through board service. With the Texas Women’s Foundation, Thear serves as co-chair of the Economic Leadership Council and a proud founding member of the Orchid Giving Circle. Ms. Suzuki also serves on the SMU Lyle Engineering School Executive Board, the Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum Board, the Boy Scouts of America Board, Circle Ten Council, the National Asian/Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship Board, and she co-chairs the 2020 Women on Boards – National Conversation on Board Diversity – Dallas initiative.

Ms. Suzuki is a 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar and has received several recognitions, including Women Leaders in Consulting Future Leader Award, NAAAP 100 Award, WING’s Mentors & Allies Award, Each Moment Matters Award, and the Nomi Network Abolitionist Award. Ms. Suzuki has been included in several publications including a book called “Powering Up! How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders”, the Everest Project research study called Women Redefining Corporate America, Understanding and Engaging High Net Worth Donors of Color, and EY Journeys that Inspire.

Ms. Suzuki earned her BS in Electrical Engineering with Biomedical Engineering Specialization from SMU. She lives in Plano, Texas with her husband Eric and their four sons.

Mary Anne Silvestri

Co-founder, ESTHER Ministry
St. Joseph Parish
Long Beach, CA

Mary Anne Silvestri is the co-founder of ESTHER ministry of St. Joseph Parish, Long Beach, California – a parish group that strives to understand the issues, causes, and consequences of human trafficking in today’s world and educate our parish and community about this modern slavery. As a ministry, ESTHER takes parts in efforts that promote education, awareness, prevention, justice and healing for the tragedy of trafficking.

Mary Anne Silvestri is originally from Detroit, has been married for 40 years and has two children who went through Faith Formation at St. Joseph. After retiring as an attorney, Mary Anne became a Master Catechist involved in Confirmation and Adult Faith Formation. ESTHER Ministry evolved from a small group in Adult Faith Formation six years ago and now has over 30 members. St. Joseph is about 25 miles south of Los Angeles, has about 1500 families in the parish, a K-8 elementary school and several very active Ministries. Its Pastor, Msgr. Kevin Kostenik, recently came to St. Joseph from the Los Angeles Cathedral.

Shima Rostami, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Gateway Human Trafficking
Professor, Department of Sociology
University of Missouri
St. Louis, MO

Shima Rostami is a faculty at the University of Missouri in St. Louis (UMSL) in the Department of Sociology and has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her doctoral study focused on ‘developing moral education to combat human trafficking’ by creating a Positive Youth Development (PYD) environment with an emphasis on Character Education (CE). Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of Gateway Human Trafficking (GHT).

Ms. Rostami is a human rights activist who is involved in the prevention of human trafficking in the Greater St. Louis metroplex, the state of Missouri, the U.S., as well as international communities. She studied Child Protection from violence, exploitation, and neglect at Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. Under Ms. Rostami’s leadership, GHT put together the first teacher training event in St. Charles County, MO, to educate teachers about human trafficking and protect our children.

Besides her academic training, Ms. Rostami has experience working in several agencies affiliated with the Humanities and Humanitarian efforts including the American Red Cross of the Greater St. Louis Area where they received the International Services Award for their outstanding International Humanitarian Law (IHL) project known as Raid Cross. Additionally, she has been chosen as a Peer Reviewer to the Office of Justice Program (OJP) Department of Justice (DOJ) about human trafficking. Ms. Rostami is also a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Human Trafficking and Hate Crime Task Forces.

Lisa Lungren, M.A.

National Education and Outreach Coordinator
Immigration and Anti-Trafficking
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Washington, D.C.

Lisa Lungren, M.A., National Education and Outreach Coordinator, Immigration and Anti-Trafficking brings a decade of experience leading and coordinating grassroots outreach, coalition-building in multi-lingual settings, and developing educational resources for varied audiences. Ms. Lungren previously oversaw the development and implementation of multi- and cross sector initiatives in Mexico, Colombia, and Panama to combat illicit activity and promote the rule of law (a culture of lawfulness). The project, which involved faith-based leaders as well as stakeholders from civil society and law enforcement, was recognized by the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, and the United Nations as an effective crime and corruption prevention strategy.

Susan Patterson

Author & Advocate
SoCal Faith Coalitions Against Human Trafficking
Irvine, CA

Susan Patterson is a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and author of the book “How You Can Fight Human Trafficking, Over 100 Ways to Make a Difference” which has been acclaimed by anti-human trafficking advocates nationwide to be one of the best resources out there because it is practical. Her book has also been highlighted by the Anti-Trafficking Program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as an excellent tool for Catholic and other faith communities that want to respond to the call of Pope Francis to take on the fight against human trafficking. Her website, ThroughGodsGrace.com has speaker presentations on a variety of subjects. Her main focus is working with faith communities to facilitate their efforts to take action in what God has called them to do. She speaks to thousands every year about the dynamics behind Human Trafficking in such a way that the path becomes clear as to where one can use one’s gifts and talents to join the fight. Her latest endeavor, SoCal Faith Coalitions Against Human Trafficking, engages over 200 leaders from faith communities a year, to look at what they can do next in the fight against human trafficking.

Jordan Bruxvoort

Founder & Director, The Naomi Project
Sioux Falls, SD

Jordan Bruxvoort is the founder and director of the Naomi Project – a Sioux Falls workers’ and immigrant’s rights organization that leads workers’ rights trainings throughout the community on important topics such as wage and hour, workers’ compensation, and labor trafficking. The Naomi Project accompanies workers whose rights have been denied and develops worker-leaders who can stand up for themselves and others in the workplace.

Naomi Project receives its inspiration from the example of Naomi who helped her immigrant daughter-in-law Ruth understand what her rights were as an immigrant and a worker, how she could exercise those rights, and establish herself in her new land.

Mr. Bruxvoort previously served as the director of the Micah Center, a coalition of churches to advance justice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During Mr. Bruxvoort’s time at the Micah Center, the organization spearheaded a campaign which passed a responsible contracting policy with the city of Grand Rapids in 2012 and started a workers’ center in 2014

Director

Professor Dr. Roza Pati

Administration & Staff

Liza E. Smoker, Esq.

Karla Garcia

Graduate Fellows

Donovan A. McFarlane, LL.M.

Minglu Michele Guo, M.P.A.

Jakerrian M. McGruder

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