About Us

Lara B. Wilken, DNP, RN

Assistant Clinical Professor, Bowling Green State University
lwilken@bgsu.edu

Lara Wilken is a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor and Coordinator of the online RN-BSN program at Bowling Green State University. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2020 with a focus on healthcare and human trafficking. Her background in nursing is primarily medical-surgical oncology, with experience in public school nursing and SANE nursing (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner). Lara has a great passion for educating healthcare providers on the assessment and identification of those involved in the life of human trafficking. Lara has spent the last ten years traveling the northwest region of Ohio raising awareness in a variety of health care and community settings. Lara created the human trafficking policy for Firelands Regional Medical Center and is chair of the Ohio Attorney General’s HTI Human Trafficking Public Awareness Subcommittee, also serving on their healthcare subcommittee. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Eyes Open International and the Erie County Safe Harbour Domestic Violence Shelter. Lara is a co-founder of the Erie County Jail Women’s Empowerment Group and Seeds of Empowerment, Erie County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition. She authored the chapter "Role Play as an Effective Method for the Identification and Assessment of Human Trafficking" in the book titled Paths to the Prevention and Detection of Human Trafficking which explores simulation as an effective means of human trafficking education. Lara’s mission is to ensure health care providers of all disciplines receive education that is not only evidence-based, but also survivor and trauma-informed.

Tracy McGinley, MA

Teaching Professor, Criminal Justice, Bowling Green State University Firelands
tracygm@bgsu.edu

Tracy McGinley is a Teaching Professor and the Program Director for the Criminal Justice Program at Bowling Green State University – Firelands College. Her background and research interest focus on identity theft, victimology, and human trafficking, three distinct fields that overlap in many ways. Tracy has been focused on raising awareness about human trafficking for well over a decade. She has traveled throughout Ohio providing programming to civic organizations, middle and high school students, college students, as well as trainings to law enforcement, first responders, and hotels. Tracy is a member of the Ohio Attorney General’s HTI Human Trafficking Public Awareness Subcommittee. She is currently the Vice-President of Cleveland Missing, an organization created by Gina DeJesus and Sylvia Colon to help families with missing loved ones. Tracy is a co-founder of the Erie County Jail Women’s Empowerment Group and Seeds of Empowerment, Erie County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition. She serves as the human trafficking chair of the Erie County Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking Task Force. She has also received recognition from BGSU and the community for her community service efforts.