Retired FBI Agent and Hospitality Program Making a Difference against Human Trafficking

30 Sep 2019    

About three years ago, Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM) Associate Professor Shannon Rowen heard retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent Anna Brewer speak about Human Trafficking in Nebraska at an event in Omaha and knew she had to introduce the topic of human trafficking to her hospitality students.

 “The link between human trafficking and major events is complex with increased demand for exploitation around large sporting events and concerts. Understanding how to recognize this crime is important for our students to learn, as they head into careers managing and leading hospitality organizations around the world.” The human trafficking awareness training of students has taken place for every student within the Hospitality Management program since that time three years ago. “Every student within the HRTM major has a heightened awareness level. Just this last summer, a student said she was able to spot the signs we learned about and authorities were notified,” Rowen said. “To know that we’re making a difference means a lot to our program and we are so thankful to Anna Brewer and the Women’s Fund of Omaha for making this training opportunity available to our students.

 Anna Brewer will speak to Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management students about human trafficking on Wednesday, October 9 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. in Home Economics Room 11 on East Campus. “We want to invite UNL students, faculty, staff and our industry partners to attend, what Anna shares is riveting and can help make a difference in the efforts to end Human Trafficking.” According to Homeland Security, it is estimated that human trafficking generates many billions of dollars of profit per year, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime.  The Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program resides in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. To learn more about the HRTM program go to HRTM.unl.edu or contact  Shannon Rowen at SRowen2@unl.edu or 402-472-3097.