vitalvoices 2024-2025
The vitalvoices Speaker Series serves as a forum to bring scholars and practitioners alike to speak to students, faculty, alumni and community partners at UHD's College of Public Service. It is our hope that those we invite to speak will share, from the heart, their professional experiences, their knowledge, and how the work they do impacts society as a whole. We like to feature people whose work is interdisciplinary and touches upon the fields social work, criminal justice and urban education.
February
Can Sex Be Addictive? Facing the Realities of Problematic Compulsive Sexual Behavior
Wednesday, February 5th from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Jake Porter
Register For This Event Today!
“Can Sex Be Addictive? Facing the Reality of Compulsive Problematic Sexual Behavior” explores whether sexual behavior can meet the criteria for addiction.
Dr. Jake Porter, a Licensed Professional Counselor and expert in relational dynamics and addiction recovery, will guide the audience
through the emerging conceptualization of compulsive problematic sexual behavior.
The talk will address the nuances of addiction, including its potential root causes,
and emotional and relational impacts to partners, families, and communities. With
a focus on debunking myths and offering practical insights, this lecture is designed
to be both informative and accessible to a wide audience.
Dr. Jake Porter
Dr. Porter blends research-based knowledge with relatable stories and examples to highlight the complexities surrounding addiction and its effects on individuals and families.
Speaker's Full BIOPorn and Sexual Violence: Is there a link?
Thursday, February 13th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Speakers: Dr. Ethan Marshall, UHD, and Dr. Holly Miller of SHSU.
Register For This Event Today!
Over the past several decades, researchers and public officials have grappled with
understanding whether or not pornography is associated with sexual violence. While
some public officials claim that pornography use represents a public health crisis,
some researchers and clinical professionals dismiss this idea, claiming that there
is no link between pornography and sexual violence. The purpose of this talk is to
provide an unbiased understanding of what we know regarding the link between pornography
and sexual violence, through a comprehensive overview of empirical evidence and real-life
case studies of individuals who have committed sexually violent acts.
Dr. Ethan A. Marshall
is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Speaker's Full BIO
Dr. Holly A. Miller
is a Professor in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University.
Speaker's Full BIO
The Other Great Migration
Thursday, February 20th from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt
Between 1900 and 1950 an estimated 50,000 African-descent peoples relocated to Houston, Texas, for economic freedom and improved social rights. Believe it or not, they saw nearby Houston as a haven from the tyranny of rural apartheid.
March
Anti-Muslim Bigotry: Status Quo, Self-Reflection, & Hopes
Wednesday, March 6th from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Abdelnasser Hussein, UHD
The Rise of Black Women in Higher Education
Thursday, March 20th from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Bernadette Pruitt
Black women have been teaching in Texas colleges and universities since the late nineteenth century. This manuscript project unearths this story and pays homage to generations of college professors in the Texas academy who have served the state and their students well.
For more information contact Steven Villano, director of the Center for Public Service and Community Research at villanos@uhd.edu.