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CORVALLIS, Ore. - A conference at Oregon State University's LaSells Stewart Center Feb. 16-18 will explore vulnerable populations enmeshed in sex trafficking in the United States, and includes a public lecture on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m.

The public lecture, "Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota," will involve keynote speaker Nicole Matthews, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition. The goal of this coalition is to strengthen the voices of American Indian women who feel vulnerable to sexual violence.

The conference theme, "Vulnerable Populations," will focus on research aimed at those persons most at-risk for sex trafficking. Leading speakers are Carrie Baker, assistant professor of the Program for the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College; and Dawn Schiller, survivor and activist against sex trafficking.

Topics to be discussed include prostitution of native women, international human trafficking, U.S. laws involved, and personal experiences of human trafficking.

Registration for the conference is now open online at http://bit.ly/xryGo5.

More information on conference fees, accommodations, meals and deadlines is available at http://bit.ly/z9ZxY0