Laura Dean 🇱🇻🇺🇦

Haaaa you are probably right! I was just telling my students to pay attention to who is represented and depicted in the chambers and who is not... definitely in my element!

Being in the capitol building is pretty much the only reason I teach this class since I don't know anything about the Illinois government!

At Model Illinois Government this weekend in Springfield and I always love the night sessions at the capitol building. It's really fun for students to debate bills in the Senate and General Assembly chambers into the evening and see themselves on the big screen!

Yesterday I talked to students in POLS 471 The Politics of Human Trafficking at the University of Kansas. My advisor said that the class would not have been possible without my work. It was really humbling to have students read my research and know the work I started there continues.

Attended the Making HERstory: Women in Millikin Poster Display reception opening with a mimosa toast honoring the historical accomplishments of Millikin women who have made a lasting impact at our institution for #WomensHistoryMonth tonight!

Had a short #AcWri at the coffee shop today working on revisions to our adjudication article. The weather is nice so it was very busy and it was hard to concentrate today. At least I can always take my coffee and revisions to go! ✍️☕

We spent most of February working on revisions to chapters and articles. Much less glamorous than outreach work during #HumanTrafficking Prevention Month but vital to keep our research moving forward! Catch up on our work here: humantraffickingresearchlab.org

Another week of #AcWri Saturday and more revisions! This week I am working on a revise and resubmit for our #HumanTrafficking adjudication article. It's going to take me a bit since I have to explore new literature and do some stats but hopefully that will be good enough for the reviewers! 🤞✍️

Illinois Task Force on Human Trafficking meeting today! Very informative presentation from local org Emmaus on male victims of trafficking and the lack of services, screenings, and housing for them not just in Illinois but around the country. I always learn something new from service providers!

My husband knows my love language...caramel chocolates and Ukrainian books about the place where we used to live! Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 💕 💘💓 💝🇺🇦

Epstīna faili: Cilvēku tirdzniecība – sievietes, vara un Eiropas klusā krīze Ir brīži, kad atsevišķi skandāli uz īsu laiku izgaismo sistēmas, kas parasti ir klātesošas, bet neredzamas. Arī šajā raidījumā esam izlēmuši pievērsties tā dēvētajai Epstīna lietai. Jaunākajos mediju ...

I was on Latvijas Radio's (ne)Diplomātiskās pusdienas podcast today talking about the Epstein files and their connections to Latvia. You can listen to the episode in 🇱🇻 'Epstīna faili: Cilvēku tirdzniecība – sievietes, vara un Eiropas klusā krīze" here! lr1.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/ne...

Thanks! Still more edits likely but nice to take a break from it for a while!

Sent my book manuscript off to my editor this week and onto the next deadline for this Chapter on Human Trafficking and Forced Criminality in Wartime part of an edited volume on Ukraine. #AcWri Saturday at my local coffee shop continues.... 🇺🇦☕✍️

Senior night at Millikin wrestling and I went to support one of my graduating students. I always try to go to my student's sports before they graduate and it was my first wrestling match. Didn't really know what was happening but I have had three students on the team in class!

When the only time that works for everyone in our borderlands travel class is 5 pm on a Friday you bring pizza. Nothing like a Friday night with 8 students, 5 pizzas, and the history of the Baltic States to 1918 🍕! #BalticImmersion 🇱🇻🇱🇹🇪🇪🇫🇮

Spent last night listening to Human Rights Defender Maksym Butkevych discuss his two years & four months of captivity as a Ukrainian POW. His entire testimony was a chronicle of Russian violations of international law & the Geneva Convention. An impactful night that will stay with me. 🇺🇦

January was a busy month for us in the Human Trafficking Research Lab at Millikin University. Catch up on all of our outreach work during Human Trafficking Prevention Month and my reflections on our panel discussion last week. humantraffickingresearchlab.org

#AcWri Saturday at my local coffee shop. Started working on the revisions to the conclusion of my book Gendering the Saeima: the Politics of Women's Representation in Latvia. Hoping to send it back to my publisher and the reviewers next week. ✍️☕🇱🇻🤞

Thanks to everyone who came out to our 9th Annual Human Trafficking Prevention Month panel discussion on Labor Trafficking at Millikin tonight! We had a great discussion and I am so thankful to be able to bring experts together for these vital discussions over the past nine years.

Dr. Laura Dean - January 28, 2026 - Byers & Co. Interviews January 28, 2026 - Dr. Laura Dean of Millikin University joined Byers & Co to talk about the Ninth Annual Panel Discussion on Labor Trafficking for Human Trafficking Prevention Month and explains what...

I was on WSOY radio this morning talking about our panel discussion tonight on labor trafficking at Millikin as part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Thankful for the opportunity to learn more about this topic from local experts and survivors! omny.fm/shows/byers-...

Saturday #AcWri today revising Chapter 7 on substantive representation the last chapter of my book Gendering the Saeima: the Politics of Women's Representation in Latvia. So ready to be done with these revisions and send this back to the reviewers! ☕✍️🇱🇻

Congressional Bill H.R. 4323 and H.R. 6938 Signed into Law On Friday, January 23, 2026, the President signed into law: H.R. 4323, the "Trafficking Survivors Relief Act," which establishes a process to allow human

Such exciting news! If you attended our Global Slavery Summit back in November you likely signed a postcard to Representatives Mary Miller and Nikki Budzinski at our advocacy table about H.R. 4323 the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st...

That is nice of you to say....I am always learning and trying to be more survivor centered!

I wrote it to address things specifically in my city. Here is a good example iowanaht.org/wp-content/u...

Yes!

My book Diffusing Human Trafficking Policy in Eurasia is part of this sale.....if you have been waiting to buy it for six years hoping it would get cheaper now is the time!

On Tuesday my student research assistant read the #HumanTrafficking Prevention Month Proclamation to the Decatur City Council. She got to shake hands with the mayor and get her signature. It was pretty easy to set up and I can send you my model proclamation if you would like to do this in your city!

Looking forward to our Ninth Annual Panel Discussion on Labor Trafficking for Human Trafficking Prevention Month next week at Millikin University! We have a pretty great group of panelists who will speak on an important and understudied aspect of #HumanTrafficking.

Happy first day of classes spring semester 2026! Does not feel like spring at all but most of my students said the one thing that they were looking forward to this semester was warmer weather so I am pretty sure their wish will come true!

It was a snowy last #WinterBreak #AcWri at my local coffee shop today! Still working on revisions to chapter six on women's policy agendas in Latvia but hoping to finish it by the time classes start on Tuesday. Sad to be done with break but ready for warmer temps! ☕✍️🇱🇻❄️