A university sexual violence victim advocate is available to provide immediate and ongoing support and assistance for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking or sexual harassment. The advocates are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are just a phone call or an email away. Advocacy services is a confidential resource, which means that they will not report what you share with them to the Title IX Coordinator.

The victim advocate can be reached by calling (414) 288-5244 or by emailing advocacy@marquette.edu.

Advocacy Services can provide the following services:

• Referrals to university and community support, and counseling services.
• Accompany a victim to the hospital or other medical providers.
• Assistance with housing, academic and other concerns.
• Assist in creating a safety plan, including helping to obtain a restraining order or university Stay Away Directive.
• Information about the university’s Title IX policy, reporting and complaint process.
• Information about and assistance with filing a criminal complaint with the police or taking other legal action.
• Assistance and support throughout the criminal justice or university complaint process including escorts to all necessary appointments and court proceedings.

Advocacy Services will provide support and assistance to victims regardless of whether the victim chooses to file a formal report with law enforcement or pursue a complaint through the university’s Title IX complaint process. Victims will remain in control of all decisions that are made about their healing process and courses of action.

Estelle Welhouse
Victim Advocate
She/Her(s)
Estelle Welhouse is the Marquette University Victim Advocate. During her office hours, Estelle is able to provide immediate support and ongoing assistance for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking or sexual harassment. Prior to joining the advocacy team at Marquette University, Estelle has served victims of crime for the past 10 years in various capacities such as: working as a Victim/Witness Advocate of Domestic Violence at the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Victim Advocate at El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Legal Intern at End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, to most recently working as a Police Officer at the West Milwaukee Police Department. With her previous training and experience, as well as continued professional development, Estelle hopes to support the Marquette community with the most up to date resources. 

Advocacy Network

The Advocacy Network consists of Marquette faculty and staff members who have been specially trained to provide support and assistance to members of the Marquette community who have experienced sexual misconduct. This team supports the 24/7 on-call Advocacy Services response. Learn more.

Sofia Ascorbe
Assistant Director of the Marquette University Honors Program
She/Her(s)
Sofia Ascorbe is the Assistant Director of the Marquette University Honors Program. She graduated from Marquette’s Honors Program in 2014 and then from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2017. After obtaining her law license, she spent more than three years practicing law in Milwaukee at Legal Action of Wisconsin, the state’s largest civil legal aid firm. At Legal Action, she focused on consumer and housing law, and later became the Assistant Director of the firm’s Eviction Defense Project which provides free in-court legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. She is excited to use her prior advocacy experience in her new role at Marquette, and to act as a supportive resource for our community. Sofia is also active in the Milwaukee community beyond Marquette, where she serves on a local non-profit theater board and participates in a Latin American performing arts group.

Jody Jessup-Anger
She/Her(s)
Jody Jessup-Anger is department chair and professor of higher education in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership. In 2018, she co-edited Addressing Sexual Violence in Higher Education and Student Affairs, a special volume of New Directions for Student Services. Prior to joining the faculty, she spent 10 years as a student affairs administrator, working primarily in gender education and victim services.

Heather Hlavka
She/Her(s)
Heather R. Hlavka is an associate professor of criminology and law studies in the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences. Her research and teaching focuses on gender and intersectionality, sexual violence, socio-legal studies, and feminist research methods and ethics. Specifically, her research explores lived experiences of violence and how sexual assault survivors navigate systems. She is a proud first-gen student, teaches sexual violence, juvenile justice, research methods, and transformative justice and has over 15 years working in advocacy services including crisis-line response, group counseling, and peer education.

Hannah Puryear
Engagement Director, University Advancement
She/Her(s)
Hannah Puryear is passionate about higher education and student development, serving over 10 years in roles within student affairs and university advancement. Currently, she is an engagement director within the Department of University Advancement where she cultivates meaningful opportunities to identify new and strengthen existing relationships with Marquette alumni, parents, and friends. Prior to this role, Hannah served Marquette students as a hall director supporting the Evans Scholars and university apartments residence communities. Before Marquette, she worked for Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, planning special events and overseeing their student presidential ambassador program. She holds an English and communications degree from The College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN), a master’s degree in College Student Affairs from Nova Southeastern University, and a master’s degree in English from Marquette University. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, yoga, reading and travel, along with spending time with her husband, Jon, and two rescue pups, Gwendolyn and Zoey. Hannah is excited to be part of the Advocacy Network and support the Marquette community in this capacity.