Biography
Jill McCracken, Ph.D. is a Professor of English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Dr. McCracken is also the Founder and Project Director of Choosing Myself, a comprehensive sexual health program that places individuals’ autonomy, choice, and values at the center to advance gender equity and to decrease and prevent sexual violence and trafficking. Having worked with sex workers and victims of trafficking for twenty years, her primary areas of research focus on sex work and trafficking in the sex industry, women and incarceration, and the impact of sexuality education on marginalized communities. Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative research methods, Dr. McCracken integrates community-based, participatory research into her work. Dr. McCracken completed a Fulbright Specialist Project in collaboration with the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective to investigate the presence of violence and trafficking in the sex industry in a country where prostitution is decriminalized. She has conducted trainings for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-supported organizations, public defenders, human trafficking coalitions, and non-profit organizations. Her work has been recognized through many awards and honors including the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference Influential Scholar Award, USF Outstanding Faculty Award, Women in Research and Philanthropy USF Faculty Research Award, and Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Servic
Degrees
Biography
Jill McCracken, Ph.D. is a Professor of English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Dr. McCracken is also the Founder and Project Director of Choosing Myself, a comprehensive sexual health program that places individuals’ autonomy, choice, and values at the center to advance gender equity and to decrease and prevent sexual violence and trafficking. Having worked with sex workers and victims of trafficking for twenty years, her primary areas of research focus on sex work and trafficking in the sex industry, women and incarceration, and the impact of sexuality education on marginalized communities. Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative research methods, Dr. McCracken integrates community-based, participatory research into her work. Dr. McCracken completed a Fulbright Specialist Project in collaboration with the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective to investigate the presence of violence and trafficking in the sex industry in a country where prostitution is decriminalized. She has conducted trainings for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-supported organizations, public defenders, human trafficking coalitions, and non-profit organizations. Her work has been recognized through many awards and honors including the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference Influential Scholar Award, USF Outstanding Faculty Award, Women in Research and Philanthropy USF Faculty Research Award, and Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Servic
Speaking Details
Speaker Topics
Action Research
Reproductive Health
Reproductive justice
Sex Education
Sex Trafficking
Sex Work
Sex/Gender Differences
Target Audiences
Adults
High School
Middle School
Fee Range
Less than $500
