Lucy MaHaffey, University of Oklahoma

Lucy MaHaffey is a sophomore from Norman, Oklahoma, with a dual major in International & Area Studies and in Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma. She began working on a project to understand the issue if human trafficking while in high school, after learning about this form of modern slavery through a film. She initially worked with a statewide coalition, Oklahomans Against Human Trafficking (OATH) helping them to develop a publicity campaign, fundraising drives, and “survival kits” to provide assistance to recused children. She has participated in numerous public forums to educate the public and to raise awareness of the problems Oklahoma faces with trafficking, including a panel for World Literature Today Student Advisory Board and the Oklahoma State Bar Association. Lucy won a $10,000 Davis Project for Peace Fellowship grant to develop a curriculum for Oklahoma high school students. The goal of the curriculum is to educate and empower young people to take action to end human trafficking. She is piloting the project this semester and will publish the curriculum for faculty across the state. Lucy’s leadership in her community and her ability to create change make her an asset to the University and the State.