Cobetto Lecture to feature panel discussion about sexual misconduct

Photo montage of speakers

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Sexual Misconduct: Perspectives on the Problem, Possibilities for Resolution is the topic of this year’s Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture, to be held Thursday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. The program, to be held in Ferguson Theater (Smith Hall), will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the issue and its possible resolutions.

This event is free and open to the public. To ensure a seat, please call 724-836-7980 by April 2.

Contributing to the discussion will be:

  • Honorable John J. Driscoll, senior judge Family Court Division of the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas;
  • Ann M. Emmerling, executive director of Blackburn Center, which seeks to end gender-based violence and all other types of violence In Westmoreland County;
  • David Karp, professor of Sociology and director of the Project on Restorative Justice at Skidmore College;
  • Katie Pope, Title IX coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh.

“The #MeToo movement this past fall brought the issue of sexual misconduct out into the open,” said Sharon P. Smith, PhD, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. “Our panel will look at sexual misconduct from a variety of perspectives that range from how we can best support the victim to how restorative justice can be as part of the healing process for both victim and the accused.”

Judge Driscoll brings more than 20 years of experience in the Westmoreland Court of Common Pleas to the discussion. His primary focus has been in the family court division where he oversaw juvenile justice programs and hearing custody and other domestic relations matters. With a legal career spanning more than 45 years, including serving as Westmoreland County District Attorney, Judge Driscoll brings a broad perspective to the topic.

As executive director of Blackburn Center, Ann Emmerling is among those leading the charge in Westmoreland County to assist sexual and domestic violence victims, and victims of any type of crime, as well as to educate the community in how to recognize and stop the chain of violence. Among the organization’s goals is to challenge the social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence. The center serves thousands of people each year through its shelter, counseling, and advocacy, education, and training services.

David Karp, professor of Sociology and director of the Project on Restorative Justice at Skidmore College, will offer a perspective based on his scholarly work in the area of restorative justice in community and educational settings. His interests include criminal justice and conflict resolution. Under his direction, the Skidmore College Project on Restorative Justice conducts research, teaching, training, and technical assistance for restorative justice projects in schools universities, communities, and the criminal justice system. Restorative justice is a philosophical approach that embraces the reparation of harm, healing of trauma, reconciliation of interpersonal conflict, reduction of social inequality, and reintegration of people who have been marginalized and outcast.

Katie Pope is the Title IX coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh. She previously served as Title IX coordinator at Allegheny College and deputy Title IX coordinator at Purdue University. She has background and expertise in VAWA, Campus SaVE Act, and Title IX compliance, as well as advocacy and sexual-assault-prevention education.

The Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture Series was established at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg by Dr. Cobetto and his wife, Ellen, in 2005.  It is held each year and focuses on contemporary ethical issues. Bernard Cobetto, MD, and his wife, Ellen, are residents of Greensburg. Dr. Cobetto is a 1945 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a 1947 graduate of the University’s School of Medicine.

“We have always tried to uphold good ethics in our lives,” Ellen Cobetto told World of Giving magazine. “Having strong values and moral principles is something we’ve tried to instill in our children and grandchildren, and we hope that through our gift to the University of Pittsburgh that we can help inspire other young people, too.”

Founded in 1963, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is a publicly assisted, four-year, liberal arts college in southwestern Pennsylvania. Pitt-Greensburg offers 29 baccalaureate degree programs, including new majors in Nursing, Healthcare Management, Public Policy, and Education, as well as 24 minors and five certificate programs. With nearly 1,500 students, more than 10,000 alumni, and faculty and staff numbering 260, Pitt-Greensburg provides a vibrant, diverse community that is a dynamic model of a 21st century liberal arts education. As part of the University of Pittsburgh system, Pitt-Greensburg offers the resources of a world-renowned university combined with the individualized and immersive experiences of a small liberal arts college. Creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit permeate the campus and extend into its many collaborative projects with the Westmoreland County community. Nestled in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands, the campus is a five-minute drive from uptown Greensburg’s coffee shops, restaurants, art museums, theatres and boutiques and less than an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh.

 

Publication Date

Wednesday, December 31, 1969 - 23:00