Dr. Burke is a Professor of Psychology at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she is faculty in the doctoral degree program in Counseling Psychology and in the master’s degree program in Counseling. In 2004, she founded the Project to End Human Trafficking (www.endhumantrafficking.org), an all-volunteer United States based non-profit group that works regionally, nationally, and internationally to raise awareness about the enslavement and economic exploitation of people. Dr. Burke has begun anti-trafficking coalitions in Pennsylvania and Virginia and consulted on the development of coalitions in other regions. In addition, she has spoken to various state and regional elected officials in Pennsylvania and Virginia regarding this issue and has worked on legislation in these states in support of strengthening human trafficking laws. Dr. Burke served on Pennsylvania’s Senate Resolution 253 Advisory Committee, which was established for the purpose of making recommendations to the State’s General Assembly regarding human trafficking in Pennsylvania. Her current international work is focused in Uganda where she and her team work collaboratively with citizens to prevent trafficking through school and community based programming.
Dr. Burke described, during her interview for the film, the landscape of, and trends related to, human trafficking in Western Pennsylvania. In addition, she spoke about how the Western Pennsylvania Anti-Trafficking Coalition is a great example of organizations and individuals coming together to educate the community about human trafficking; supporting agencies conducting investigations into human trafficking crimes; and efficiently and quickly providing for the specific needs of survivors. Dr. Burke also described the impact that changes in the business and industrial landscape can have on human trafficking crimes. For example, the growth of the fracking industry in Western Pennsylvania has created an influx of temporary workers and jobs, which, in turn, can fuel demand. The Coalition works not only to deal with trafficking crimes after they occur, but also to be proactive in trying to anticipate these kinds of changes and mitigate human trafficking crimes through education and other efforts.
Dr. Burke’s wealth of expertise and knowledge about human trafficking, on the local, national and international levels, are assets to the fight to end human trafficking and to help survivors, and it was a privilege to interview her.
