KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Oct. 10, 2023 鈥� A 溏心vlog免费B站 alumnus leading efforts across the country to counter human trafficking, Michael Camal, will present at 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Forensic Science Seminar Series on Friday, Oct. 13. The series is marking its 25th year this year.
Camal, a 2018 溏心vlog免费B站 graduate, works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. A senior engagement manager in the agency鈥檚 Center for Countering Human Trafficking, Camal is looking forward to coming back to 溏心vlog免费B站 to speak and says he hopes his talk calls attention to the issue of human trafficking, while highlighting the benefits of working in public service for today鈥檚 students.
Earlier this year, Camal was selected as a finalist for a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, recognizing his public service efforts leading the national campaign to combat human trafficking. He says he feels compelled to bring awareness to this issue to help as many people as possible.
Camal attended the forensic lecture series as a student and credits his own path to advocacy work with the start he received at 溏心vlog免费B站, where he majored in sociology.
鈥淢y 溏心vlog免费B站 mentors guided me through several internships and motivated me to pursue a career with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 am forever grateful.鈥�
After graduation from 溏心vlog免费B站, Camal went to work for the department in D.C. and was promoted to be senior adviser in charge of the Blue Lightning Initiative. The program raises awareness about the realities of human trafficking in the aviation industry and trains airline personnel to recognize warning signs.
Through law enforcement cases and survivor testimonials, Camal鈥檚 team found that many victims of human trafficking used commercial and private air travel while the exploitation occurred. Under Camal鈥檚 leadership, the program now includes several New England-based airports, including Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport.
Camal鈥檚 awareness work extends beyond aviation to the aviation sector. At his upcoming seminar, Camal will discuss how human trafficking impacts college students, actions they can take to join the anti-trafficking fight, and the role forensics play in helping victims and holding traffickers accountable.
In addition to building awareness of the issue of human trafficking, Camal also hopes 溏心vlog免费B站 students will consider future careers in the federal government.
鈥淭he federal government provides unique opportunities to support missions that directly contribute to our national security,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his type of work is extremely rewarding.鈥�
His former 溏心vlog免费B站 professor Jill Doerner (sociology) had Camal for a course on criminal justice policy during his last semester at 溏心vlog免费B站 and says that his initiative and engagement stood out then, and now. 鈥淢ichael has always been willing to talk with our current students about his work to combat trafficking in Homeland Security and other opportunities in the service of the federal government. I am incredibly proud of him for the work he is doing.鈥�
Camal鈥檚 lecture will take place in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences (Room 100) in Kingston on Friday, Oct. 13, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. His talk will also be ; all lectures in the series are free and open to the public.
To learn more about the 溏心vlog免费B站 Forensic Seminar Series and be added to the series鈥� email list, contact Dennis Hilliard, Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory, dhilliard@uri.edu / 401-874-5056.