Center for Gender Studies hosts guest lecturer

Liz Karns
Liz Karns

The Center for Gender Studies is hosting Liz Karns as a guest lecturer April 3-4.

Karns brings a depth and breadth of knowledge to Radford University regarding sexual assault victimization from public health and legal perspectives. Trained as an epidemiologist and lawyer, she is a senior lecturer in the Department of Social Statistics at Cornell University. Her research interests include the economic consequences of sexual assault and misconduct, as well as evaluation of evidence from public data bases, legal opinions and individual cases.

“It is important for the community to gain an understanding of the economic impact of sexual assault,” said Center for Gender Studies Director and Coordinator of the Clinical-Counseling Psychology program Ann Elliott. “Sexual assault survivors experience a reduced income of hundreds of thousands of dollars over their lifetime – resulting from career plan changes, persistent health issues and more.”

Focus of Karns’ lectures

The first lecture will discuss economic consequences of sexual assault from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on April 3 in Heth 014 and will feature Karns drawing on her background in statistics and as lawyer representing sexual assault victims as they seek acknowledgment of their injuries.

The second lecture will focus on sexual assault reporting in higher education from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on April 4 in Heth 022.

“According to studies conducted from 1987 to the present, one in four college females and one in 16 college males have experienced sexual assault, and institutional responses to the assault can significantly impact the victim's recovery and educational goals,” Elliott said. “Karns will examine the gap between official university reports of sexual assault and anonymous surveys of college students and institutional barriers to reporting.”

Karns’ visit is sponsored by the Center for Gender Studies, Scholar-Citizen Initiative, Substance Abuse and Violence Education Support, Department of Psychology and Office of Diversity and Equity. Both guest lectures are free and open to the public.

Mar 29, 2017
Max Esterhuizen
(540) 831-7749
westerhuizen@radford.edu