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(Worcester, Mass.) -- The Worcester State College Women's Studies Program will present a talk with Dr. Oliva M. Espín at its annual Candace Allen Scola memorial lecture, Thursday Oct. 22 sat 11:30 a.m. in the Student Center Blue Lounge."Women Crossing Boundaries: Gender, Immigration, and Domestic Violence," will be the topic of Espín’s remarks.

The annual lecture honors Candace Allen Scola, a Worcester State College geography and education student who was murdered in her Worcester home in July 2002. She had hoped to become a teacher, to make a difference in the lives of young people like the troubled youths she encountered in her work at Worcester Juvenile Court. WSC, with the support of the Allen family, responded to her death by creating a Student Meditation Garden on campus and established the college’s annual lecture in her honor.

Espín is Professor Emerita of Women's Studies at San Diego State University and Professor Emerita of Psychology at Alliant International University (California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego). She specializes in the psychology of Latinas, immigrant and refugee women, women's sexuality across cultures and qualitative research methodology. Dr. Espín trained psychotherapists and worked as a feminist therapist for twenty years before coming to San Diego in 1990. A native of Cuba, Dr. Espín has lived and worked in several countries. She received the 1991 Award for Distinguished Professional Contribution to Public Service from the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Career Award from the Association for Women in Psychology in 2001 and distinguished publication awards from the Association for Women in Psychology in 1993 and in 1999. She is a sought after consultant and the author of many articles. Dr. Espín regularly presents her work at national and international professional conferences

Within immigrant communities, women are often seen as the keepers of their native culture, expected to maintain traditional mores and values, especially around gender and sexuality.  In her remarks, Espín will shed light on social and psychological processes of abuse in relation to gender, sexuality, and nation.

The event is free and open to the public.

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