USU, CAPSA to Host Conference on Violence Prevention

Utah State University will host the Northern Utah Conference to End Violence: A Call for Collaborative Leadership on Wednesday, May 31, at the Eccles Conference Center on the Logan campus.

The conference will feature a keynote from Rabbi Avremi Zippel titled, “Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue”as well as remarks from Utah Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson. Specialized breakout sessions will be offered for professionals as well as the general public to address domestic violence, sexual assault and violence prevention.

The conference was formed in 2022 as an extension of the ongoing partnership between USU and local nonprofit CAPSA to address issues of violence in local communities.

“Northern Utah has a robust network of professionals working on these issues, but not everyone comes together on a regular basis,” said Emmalee Fishburn, a senior prevention specialist in USU’s Office of Equity. “This is an opportunity for people to learn about current trends and build local connections.”

Organizers hope to bring these professionals — law enforcement, attorneys, therapists, victim advocates, medical providers and prevention educators — together with local community leaders such as educators, government representatives and religious clergy.

Anyone with a personal interest is also welcome to attend.

“Many of the sessions would be helpful for those who know people who have had these experiences or who want to learn more about these topics,” Fishburn said.

The conference will feature two tracks of breakout sessions: “Why We Do This,” focused on educating the general public, and “How We Do This,” information for professionals in the field. Conference-goers can attend sessions from either track.

“These are societal issues, and they require community-wide solutions,” said Misty Hewitt, chief program officer for CAPSA. “My hope is that leaders, providers and other professionals in these fields can come together with common goals of increasing awareness, supporting survivors of violence, and using best practices when holding offenders accountable.”

The conference is free to attend. For the complete schedule and to register, visit nucev.usu.edu. Free social work continuing education unit credits are available for participants, and law enforcement personnel can earn in-service training hours for attending.