WCU Stories      April 1, 2019

Western Carolina University will host a Global Spotlight Series event titled “Illicit Trafficking in Humans and Drugs” about aspects of smuggling and law enforcement Wednesday, April 10, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the Forsyth Building.

“There are covert endeavors that make criminals rich and create societal problems that won’t go away,” said Niall Michelsen, WCU associate professor of political science and public affairs. “For this discussion, we will have four points of view on issues that are in the news now, just as they were years ago.”

The presentation, a DegreePlus event for students, is free and open to the public. The topics and WCU presenters scheduled for the discussion:

• “Rethinking Plan Colombia: U.S. Counternarcotic Strategies in Latin America” by Oliver Horn, history instructor.
• “Creativity, the Mother of Innovation ― and International Drug Smuggling” by Al Kopak, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice.
• “A Brief Economic Analysis: Trafficking as an Unintended Consequence” by Audrey Redford, assistant professor of economics.
• “See Something, Say Something: Domestic Strategies to Combat Human Trafficking” by Cyndy Caravelis, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice.

The event is sponsored by the Political Science and Public Affairs Department and is part of an ongoing series of panel discussions on national and international issues. For more information, contact Jen Schiff at 828-227-3860 or jsschiff@wcu.edu.