What's Happening at the Center?

Center Director, Dr. Walter DeKeseredy, executive board member, Dr. James Nolan and graduate assistants Gabrielle Lory and Danielle Stoneberg attended the American Society of Criminology (ASC) Conference this past November in Atlanta, GA. Dr. DeKeseredy presented on several recent articles and participated in Author-Meets-Critic Sessions for his most recent books. Danielle Stoneberg and Gabrielle Lory each held presentations on their work as well, discussing rural criminology and the uses of alternative sentencing. The Research Center, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, and the Division of Rural Criminology also co-hosted a reception during the meeting to celebrate the creation of the rural division. Overall, this past ASC was productive for all Center affiliates who attended and we look forward to San Francisco in November, 2019.

Our student organization, the Violence Research and Awareness Association (VRAA), sponsored the fourth annual White Ribbon Campaign at WVU on December 6, 2018.The White Ribbon Campaign is a global movement of men working to end male violence against women. It was formed by a group of pro-feminist men in London, Ontario, in November 1991 as a response to the École Polytechnique massacre of female students by Marc Lépine in 1989. A discussion regarding the steps we can take to end gender based violence ensued that provided fruitful everyday contributions we can take on a daily basis.

Finally, VRAA and the Research Center collaborated to sponsor the third annual Clothesline Project at WVU on April 17th, 2019. The Clothesline Project is an event that brings awareness to the issue of violence against women, men and children. For individuals affected by violence, it is an opportunity to express their experiences and messages anonymously through a decorated t-shirt. This powerful display honors survivors and can aid in the healing process for those who were directly affected and those who have lost someone special to violence. The collected t-shirts were hung from a clothesline in front of the Downtown Library for students and community members to read. This event is a powerful and moving venture that the Research Center will continue to sponsor.