CLAREMONT, Calif. - Jesse Purcell of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics was invited to speak at Cal State Fullerton's 24th Annual Violence Prevention Conference on Friday to discuss the programs that she has helped coordinate as a co-chair of the CMS Title IX Committee.

The title of the talk was "Educating and Engaging Student-Athletes in Sexual Violence Prevention." Purcell, who is also a member of the CMS sports medicine staff, presented the work that she has led with associate athletic director Rachana Bhat for the athletic department, including achieving the goal of having all 21 athletic teams complete Teal Dot Training last year.

"Meeting the NCAA's annual requirement for sexual violence education for student-athletes can be challenging," Purcell said, "such as finding times that work for the majority, identifying engaging presenters and content, and repeating the process year after year. The 5Cs latest HEDS Campus Climate Survey indicated that the majority of students are most likely to report a sexual assault to a friend.

"Therefore, as leaders and influencers it's essential that student-athletes be aware of interventions and resources available. The goal of the Claremont-Mudd Scripps (CMS) Title IX Committee is to create a rotational, team-based education program that engages and educates student-athletes on a variety of Title IX topics using on-campus resources."

CSUF's Violence Prevention Conference is a free, full-day program held in person at Cal State Fullerton to explore current topics and best practices in the prevention of sexual violence and domestic violence. The conference is open to the public, with the audience mostly consisting staff, faculty, students, and volunteers joining from local colleges, universities, and nonprofits.

The 2026 conference theme, Toward Collective Justice, invited speakers and participants alike to examine the systemic roots of sexual violence as we come together to generate new pathways toward inclusive, multi-faceted, and interdisciplinary prevention efforts.