Wed, Nov 20, 2013
1:00 - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Michael K. SweeneyAs a 28 year law enforcement veteran, Michael K. Sweeney handled many sexual assault cases at the Aurora, CO and Ocean Springs, MS police departments. Now he is teaching law enforcement officers, advocates, and counselors how to investigate these cases and understand victims and perpetrators.

Sweeney is a training specialist for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, a statewide advocacy group for sexual assault survivors and the agencies that serve them. He will discuss the myths and realities of sexual assault, including stranger versus non-stranger assaults, the revictimization of survivors by the criminal justice system, the neurobiology of trauma, and how to investigate a case and interview victims and perpetrators. He also will provide career tips for those interested in joining the victim services field.

Sweeney began his career in 1984 in the Aurora Police Department, where even as a rookie he handled more sexual assault cases than drunk driving cases. That trend continued throughout his career. Sweeney served in Aurora from 1984-1998 and earned two Meritorious Service Awards as a Narcotics Detective.

In 1998, he relocated to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, rising to the rank of Chief of Detectives at the Ocean Springs Police Department. He specialized in interviewing and interrogation techniques as well as statement analysis.
After his retirement from the Ocean Springs Police Department, he became a Master Trainer for the National Alliance of Chaplains Corps. He provided training programs for chaplains, who often are first responders for death notifications, on such issues as stress management, debriefing, sexual assault and suicides. In 2008, he graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Sweeney joined TAASA in March and serves as the police liaison, the first law enforcement officer in that position. He provided trainings for local departments, Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as well as victim advocates, rape crisis center personnel and licensed professional counselors in a multi-disciplinary approach to handle sexual assault cases.

“That’s something that wouldn’t happen 30 years ago,” said Sweeney.

“Unfortunately, this is not something that goes away anytime soon,” Sweeny said. “It’s a very rewarding career.

It can be heart-wrenching at times, so there is a lot of self-care that is needed. A lot of people go into these careers thinking they can change the world and make a difference. If you take small bites at a time and one step at a time, you can.”

Voices is a new lecture series designed to provide a forum for students to learn about victimization and how they might contribute in their future careers to preventing victimization and responding thoughtfully and supportively to crime victims.

Faculty and staff from Sam Houston State University are invited to attend a seminar on Dec. 4 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Lowman Student Center Theater on to how to address sexual assault on campus and respond if an assault is reported to them.

“The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has declared sexual assault ‘an epidemic’ on college campuses,” said Dr. Kathy Latz, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “As research consistently shows, college students are more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group. Not only is sexual assault a crime, it also interferes with students’ basic right to receive a harassment-free education. This training is timely in light of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which (among other things) requires universities to increase sexual assault prevention and awareness efforts.”

The training, sponsored by the College of Criminal Justice, will raise awareness about the issue and outline the responsibilities of faculty and staff to respond to students. The program will feature Jyl Shaffer, Director of the Title IX Office at the University of Houston, and Jason Goodrich, Chief of Police at Lamar University. Both will provide practical ways to respond to the issue on campus.

According to research, one out of every four women attending college will be the victim of sexual assault during their college career, and 95 percent will not report the incident to law enforcement or campus officials.

“The most vulnerable time for these women is during the first six weeks of their freshman year,” said Dr. Cortney Franklin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. “Among women who are victimized, the vast majority will not seek formal assistance through law enforcement or campus officials because they fear retaliation from the perpetrator, out of shame, or because they fear being disbelieved and having their credibility questioned. These forms of secondary victimization have severe and negative consequences on the mental health outcomes of rape survivors. For these reasons, it is paramount to provide training to any person with whom a victim may disclose on the appropriate response and how to provide reasonable and victim-centered accommodations.”

The free training is open to all faculty and staff at the University. Registration is available through the Talent Management system.

“Given the high rates of sexual assault at institutions of higher education across the country we can conclude that this issue affects SHSU students,” said Nicole Wilkes, Research Associate for the Crime Victims’ Institute. “We need staff and faculty from all departments on campus to be aware of these issues, know how to respond if an assault is disclosed to them, and be engaged in dialogue on how to best serve students through preventing these crimes and supporting those who are victimized.”

The training will discuss the needs of student victims and examine what some colleges are doing to address the challenges of sexual violence on campus.

“Those higher education campuses that are taking innovative approaches to the problem of sexual assault by staffing victim advocates on-campus, providing access to SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurses through university health services, and promoting awareness through required prevention programs like bystander intervention and men’s programs empower students and provide university administration with the scaffolding for enhanced sexual assault prevention and response in the university setting,” said Dr. Franklin.

The training also will review federal requirements for sexual assault responses in higher education, including the Clery Act, Title IX and the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to provide students with information about campus crime and security policies, including the number of sexual assaults and other crimes that occur on campus. Title IX of the Education Act includes protection against sexual harassment, sexual violence and sexual assault and governs how campuses respond to sexual assault cases. Finally, the SaVE Act will require that schools provide sexual assault victims with contact information for legal assistance, counseling and health services and campus crime reports would be expanded to include cases of stalking and domestic violence beginning in 2014.

Wed Jan 22, 2014
9:30 - 11:00 A.M.
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Date: April 1-4, 2014
College of Criminal Justice and Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas

Law enforcement personnel are increasingly involved in the recovery of human skeletal remains. The collection of all skeletal elements is essential for an accurate assessment of trauma, identifying features or other biological identifiers such as age, sex and ancestry to identify the unknown.

This four day, intense, hands-on, short course teaches the anthropology and geo-mapping principles used in the search for clandestine burials and the recovery and analysis of the human skeletal remains. The course will include lectures and practical applications in anthropology and hands-on recovery activities.

This is an applied course using real human skeletons. Endurance in the recovery of the remains is required.

BOOKING AND PRICING

Cost: $600.00 ($550.00 if registered and paid by 8/31/13).
To register and pay for the course visit the STAFS Web site.

ACCOMMODATIONS

For Hotel reservation contact: The University Hotel at (936)-291-2151
Discount room rate: $77.95 +tax/night

TCLEOSE credits (up to 32 hours) are available.

For More Information:

Course Information: Dr. Joan Bytheway (936) 294-2310; Bytheway@shsu.edu

Administrative Questions: Tammy Winkler (936)294-1674; icc_tlw@shsu.edu

Tue, Dec. 3, 2013
5:30 PM
Chemistry and Forensic Science Building
Room 103

The Society of Forensic Science is a special interest group at SHSU, consisting of individuals who are interested in working together to expand and share their knowledge of Forensic Science. The society participates in various volunteer and fundraising activities throughout the year.

The Election of New Officer will be held at the December meeting.

Deputy Executive Director Bryan Collier, TDCJ

Bryan Collier (’86) began his career at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) manning the switchboard while a student at Sam Houston State University. Now 28 years later, he is second in command at the state agency that oversees the largest adult prison, parole and probation system in the country.

“Bryan Collier represents a dedicated, committed, and visionary correctional professional highly focused on the mission of public safety recognizing the critical importance of leadership in effective management, supervision, and reentry,” said Doug Dretke, Executive Director of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT).

Collier is Deputy Executive Director of TDCJ, a statewide system that manages 150,000 offenders, 77,000 parolees, 430,000 probationers, and 37,000 employees in Texas. During his career, he has seen the evolution of the system from prison overcrowding -- where many offenders were paroled from county jails because of a lack of room at state prisons – to a “balanced agency” with lower recidivism rates and smaller prison populations because of effective programs, better parole supervision, and diverse diversion tools for judges to control offender’s behavior in the community.

“I have seen the system grow and consolidate,” said Collier. “TDCJ is in a very good place at this time and is really in balance. Recidivism rates and the prison population are down. It really takes a system approach combined with research based practices. The days are gone where you come with an idea and just do it.”

Collier was Director of Parole at TDCJ.After getting a degree in 1986 from Sam Houston State University, Collier wanted to be a lawyer and took a job as a correctional officer and institutional parole officer in Houston to fund the endeavor. But after interviewing offenders being considered for release, he found his calling in corrections and never looked back.

“It was totally consuming, and I totally enjoyed it,” said Collier. “I got to put the offenders’ stories together and identify what was fact and what was fiction. Every day was different, and they all had different stories. I also identified what their needs were in the community and what the issues were that needed to be addressed. It was fun working with people and to see them succeed.”

A group counseling session at the Halbert Unit.In 1994, Collier switched from parole to programs and services within the institutions, including therapeutic treatments for substance abuse and sex offenders as well as the chaplaincy program. He helped supervise and develop the programs.
Collier later returned to the Parole Division and rose to the position of Director in 2002. Five and a half years later in 2007, he was appointed as Deputy Executive Director for the entire agency.

“The system has evolved and has grown -- it is a very large system, but it is working together very well” said Collier. “The recidivism rate is down to 22.6 percent, and programs have helped the prison population decline. We were able to close three prisons because of the effectiveness of program delivery, parole supervision, and diversions and by providing tools for judges to address the behavior of offenders.”

Collier continues to have a close relationship with Sam Houston State University, which he credits with giving him a “solid foundation” and experience in the field. He shares his passion for correctional excellence as a presenter for the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) in their Mid-Management Leadership Program providing leadership and management insights and guidance to mid-level and senior correctional supervisors. He serves as a tremendous resource to CMIT, working with them to develop new programs and training within the corrections profession.

Collier also works with faculty at the College of Criminal Justice with ongoing research projects to provide the scientific evidence that has become the hallmark of successful programs. He also works with faculty and staff in the community in activities like church and Boys Scouts.

Collier serves as a presenter for CMIT's Mid Management training.Collier said the experience and curriculum he received from SHSU sparked his interest in many different aspects of the correctional field. He said professors at the College have both academic knowledge and practical experience and take a personal interest in your success. For example, Dr. George Beto, whom the Criminal Justice Center is named for, referred him to the switchboard job because of the experience it provided – as well as the downtime to study.

“If you get a degree in criminal justice, it should be from SHSU,” Collier said. “It is extremely well-known in the field and prepares you for a career in criminal justice. I didn’t expect to be at TDCJ 28 years later, but none of my career has felt like I was doing the same thing over and over again. My career has advanced well beyond my expectations. The agency is a great place to work and has a mission you can be proud to help achieve, and I will always have a spot in my heart for Sam Houston State University.”

Five participants in the new chiefs training are graduates of the Leadership Command College."

Five graduates of the Leadership Command College, the premiere executive development program for Texas law enforcement, recently returned to the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) as new police chiefs.

“LEMIT appreciates the diligence one commits to being a successful Chief of Police,” said Dr. Rita Watkins, Executive Director of LEMIT. “It is exciting to see these five police chiefs apply the knowledge and relate what they learned in LCC to an executive appointment. They have worked hard, and we are proud of their accomplishments.”

Chief DavidsonAmong the recently appointed chiefs were Ron Davidson, Texas A & M University Police in San Antonio; Charlie Johnson, Lake Tanglewood Police Department; Stephen Mylett, South Lake Police Department; Jim Nelson, Dumas Police Department; and Daniel Pennington, Freeport Police Department. They were among 50 top law enforcement officers to participate in the New Chiefs Development Program, a mandated training for all new top law enforcement managers in the state.

The new law enforcement leaders credit the LCC with paving their road to success.

“If you want to advance in law enforcement, you definitely need to get a command college under your belt,” said Chief Davidson. “With some of the other programs, you’re gone for a long time. I always recommend the LCC because it is set up in blocks, you get to move around the state, and it’s paid for. It allows you to break out of your local paradigm and see how other departments are doing things all over the state.”
Since graduating from LCC as a sergeant at the University of Texas, San Antonio in 2002, Davidson has gone on to earn a Bachelor and Master’s degree in the field. He still reaches back to some colleagues from LCC to develop a “best practices” approach to issues that arise.

Chief Nelson“The networking was great,” said Chief Davidson. “I am still in touch with three to four guys that I went through the whole program with for helping with decision-making, researching policies and procedures, and developing a best practice approach.”
For Nelson, networking is the key, even though he graduated from the program’s predecessor in 1997.

“I have friends I graduated with from all over Texas and still talk to them periodically,” said Nelson.
After his appointment as Police Chief in Dumas on April 1, Nelson immediately implemented one of the lessons from LCC when he was faced with doing his first budget. He also better understood how to interact with a culturally diverse community, which includes immigrants from Somalia and Burma.

Chief MylettDuring their careers, Davidson and Pennington also attended the prestigious FBI National Academy, but credit LCC with provided the practical, hands-on applications they use on the job.

“There is no doubt that the things I learned in LCC helped me in my career,” said Mylett. “The focus of the LCC was leadership and management. The instructors were exceptional and the courses were all relevant to the emerging police leader. There were so many concepts and ideas related to leadership and management that I found so very useful that I applied many of them to my role as a police supervisor and, eventually, police executive. The LCC is a must for anyone who aspires to compete for executive level positions.”

Chief PenningtonPennington still remembers the personality assessment that was used to identify his own leadership style and to understand the personalities of supervisors in command position.
“If you can understand the perspective of the boss, you can have a better working relationship,” Pennington said.
Johnson said the biggest selling point in getting the job in Lake Temple was the LCC. One of the members of City Council was in law enforcement and knew of the great reputation of the program.

Chief Johnson“I learned there is more to law enforcement than patrol and arrests,” said Johnson. “I learned about leadership and budgets from great professionals and instructors. I also learned that you are never too old to learn.”

The Leadership Command College is designed to provide law enforcement executives with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful leadership in a modern law enforcement agency. The program consists of three, 15-day instructional modules, selected reading assignments and a comprehensive Leadership White Paper (LWP). The sessions are held at Texas A & M, Texas Women’s University and Sam Houston State University.

The instructional curriculum is a careful balance of proven management practice and sound academic research. The curriculum is divided into three broad content areas: Leadership and General Management Principles; Political, Legal and Social Environment of Law Enforcement; and Law Enforcement Administration.

Dr. Bill Wells

A new twist will let students at Lone Star College-Montgomery see beyond the community college classrooms—literally—via in-class videoconferencing sessions or face-to-face meetings with other students at Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice.

Called the “University Connections Series,” the new pilot program will pair an Introduction to Criminal Justice class at LSC-Montgomery with a Research Methods class at Sam Houston State University this spring. During the semester, the participating class will connect with its university counterpart to collaborate on projects, interact with each other, and share knowledge.

Students enrolled in these LSC-Montgomery sections will cover the same learning outcomes as in a traditional class and earn the same three credit hours upon successful completion.

“The goal is to assist our students in seeing themselves beyond LSC-Montgomery,” said Matthew Samford, academic counselor at LSC-Montgomery.

“Students will be able to get a taste for university-level academics and connect with those who are living the university life.”

LSC-Montgomery professor Mark Stelter will be connecting his Introduction to Criminal Justice course with Sam Houston State University’s Criminal Justice Research Methods course, which is taught by Dr. William (Bill) Wells.

“Both sets of students will see a great combination of current salient issues in the field and applied academic research,” said Stelter. “In my course, students study U.S. crime rates and trends. Dr. Wells will show how such data is gathered, analyzed, and assessed in ways much richer and deeper than our course normally has time to cover.”

Dr. Wells sees benefits for both groups of students as well.

“SHSU students will gain a better appreciation of research methods by interacting with the Lone Star College students who are learning core elements about the criminal justice system and the nature of crime,” said Wells. “I’m excited to share criminal justice and criminological research with Lone Star College students. I hope they will become interested in learning more.”

LSC-Montgomery has projects in different disciplines with other area universities. For more information, contact Matthew Samford at (936) 273.7341, or Matthew.T.Samford@LoneStar.edu.

La Vista (NE) Police Chief Bob Lausten

Police Chief Bob Lausten, a SHSU graduate and 30 year law enforcement veteran, still uses the padlock from his police academy class. Every time he looks at it, he remembers the core lessons that come with the job.

“I think about those same core values that I was taught: Watch your back. Treat people with dignity. Be firm but fair,” said Lausten.

Lausten began his career as a Los Angeles School District police officer.It has been a long time – and an interesting journey – since Lausten left Sam Houston State University in December 1983, returning to his native Omaha, NE., where the temperature didn’t get above zero for 10 days. It was then he decided to visit relatives in Los Angeles – and begin a career journey that eventually would bring him back home.

Responding to a brochure left at his college in Omaha, Lausten came to SHSU in his second semester, working his way through school as a correctional officer on the Ellis Unit at the then Texas Department of Corrections. During more than a year working the swing shift from 1:45 to 9:45 p.m., he witnessed eight murders on the cell blocks and began to understand the criminal mind.

Lausten is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. “I learned that people from all walks of life will do what they can to get ahead,” said Lausten. “Working in corrections was a benefit to me because it gave you an idea of who you will be working with. I worked for six months on Death Row, and it was an eye-opening experience. When I read the case files of what these guys had done, you began to see how evil people can be.”

After graduation and a brief stint in Omaha, Lausten landed a job with the Los Angeles School District Police. He was trained through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and started his career at Crenshaw High School, a violent inner city school plagued by gangs in South Central Los Angeles. It was very different environment from Omaha and Huntsville, and there he learned the best – and the worst – of police practices.

In 1990, after having three children in just 18 months – and facing $1,400 in monthly payments for a two bedroom condo – Lausten and his wife decided to go home to Omaha. He took a job in the suburb of La Vista, a community of 20,000, and has been there ever since. He taught the DARE program for five years and then made his way up the department ladder, becoming chief in 2002.

Lausten met President George W. Bush. La Vista is the fastest growing city in the fastest growing county in Nebraska. Like many growth areas, it faces traffic woes, but enjoys a low crime rate. Most police work focuses on quality of life issues. With a supportive city council, Lausten introduced many innovative programs in the community, including a unit for internet crimes against children, an honor guard, and a new police and fire station.

But Lausten is most proud of the legacy he has developed in the department. In 2002, he introduced a succession plan among his rank and file, and many of the leaders have grown successfully into their jobs.
Lausten still remembers his time at Sam Houston State University, including such faculty as Drs. Wayland D. Pilcher and Doug Moore, and keeps in touch with a few of his fellow classmates. He urged today’s student to expose themselves to many different experiences to get a job in the field. His department includes officers from the military, college, corrections and security.

Chief Lausten promotes succession planning among his officers. “Life skills and experience are huge when you are looking for a job,” said Lausten. “One of the big things is you can’t stay in a box. Expose yourself to lots of different things.”

Ironically, Lausten recently brought a shirt from SHSU in honor of the 30th anniversary of his graduation. He also reconnected with one of his former classmates just two weeks ago. Then he got the call to profile his story. Even after 30 years, Lausten remains connected to his alma mater.

Dr. William King completed a study of the NIBIN system for the National Institute of Justice.

A team of researchers led by Sam Houston State University identified a number of areas of improvement in a national database of forensic ballistics evidence used to link guns to violent crimes.

The report, just released by the National Institute of Justice, already has led to improvements in the system called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which is operated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

NIBIN is the only nationwide database that allows for the comparison of ballistics evidence in criminal cases, either to assist in identifying a suspect or to link firearms to different crimes. Firearms examiners at state and local crime laboratories compare tool marks on fired bullets or cartridges found at a crime scene to digitized images of ballistic evidence in the nationwide, NIBIN database.

Tool marks on bullets and cartridges are examined using a microscope.“NIBIN has tremendous potential to help criminal investigators solve violent gun crimes and combat organized criminal groups that use guns to commit violent crimes and homicides,” said Dr. William King of the College of Criminal Justice, principal investigator on the study. “Historically, NIBIN has suffered from a lack of funding and clear performance metrics that can be used to assess how well the program is working.”

The study, funded by the National Institute of Justice, found that criminal investigators rarely used the ballistics reports to link weapons used in multiple crimes because they were delivered after the investigation had concluded. The NIBIN system, which encompasses 150 local police agencies and crime labs across the country that analyze bullets and cartridges markings, took an average of 101 days to produce reports. Dr. King said that there was a wide variation in performance among the NIBIN sites, but that some labs, such as those at the Houston, TX and the Santa Ana, CA police departments, had developed exceptionally quick processes to assist in criminal cases, despite the considerable number of gun cases they process each year.

Among the extensive recom-mendations made in the study:

• Expand the information available on NIBIN “hit” reports to include geographic codes and criminal records data.
• Create standardized measures (beyond the number of inputs and hits) for evaluating the performance of local NIBIN sites.
• Establish an ATF research and development program to determine innovative practices among NIBIN sites, particularly those that would remove impediments to timely identification of hits.

In response to early drafts of the research report, in 2012, ATF began taking steps to improve oversight and performance of NIBIN.

“ATF has made a focused effort to move the NIBIN program from a stand-alone laboratory tool to a fully integrated component of crime gun intelligence,” said Ron Turk, ATF Assistant Director of Field Operations. “The singular mission of NIBIN is to reduce firearm violence through aggressive investigation and prosecution of criminal shooters. This NIJ report validates many of the changes ATF has implemented in the NIBIN program over the last year in an effort to achieve our mission.”

The study also recommended that NIBIN should be used as a strategic tool to identify and combat gun crime activities by organized crime groups, such as gangs, by expanding the information available on NIBIN to investigate key players in these crimes. That information includes geographic codes, the names of suspects and victims, possible gang affiliation or other pertinent relationships.

“When ballistic hit reports are organized as a network analysis, it is possible to identify and target the key nodes in a criminal network,” Dr. King said. “In the past, ATF has conducted these strategic analysis activities for some local agencies, but we are suggesting a program that is more wide-spread, more systematic and that used advanced software and analysis.”

“NIBIN can make American communities safer from violent gun crime,” said Dr. King. “Our report highlights areas where the program can be strengthened and improved at the local level of crime labs and police agencies, and nationally with ATF. ATF has already taken numerous steps to improve the performance of NIBIN in response to our preliminary findings and our final report.”

The study was conducted by researchers at Sam Houston State University, Arizona State University, American University, and the University of Cincinnati. The full report, “Opening the Black Box of NIBIN: A Descriptive Process and Outcome Evaluation of the Use of NIBIN and its Effects on Criminal investigation,” is available at http://tinyurl.com/my3tsbm.

Security Studies graduates and faculty.

The College of Criminal Justice graduated its fall class of 2013 in December, with about 230 undergraduates and more than 30 graduate students, including two new Ph.D.s.

Joining the ranks of top College scholars are Drs. Wen-Chih (Billy) Huang and John M. Marks, Jr. Huang is the Section Chief, Investigation Section, Interpol Taipei, International Criminal Affairs Division, Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C. Dr. Marks will teach at the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.

Faculty from the College of Criminal Justice. Dr. Huang’s dissertation was on “Broken Bonds: Crime and Delinquency of Foreign Immigrants in Taiwan.” His committee was chaired by Dr. Jurg Gerber and included members Drs. Michael Vaughn and Furjen Deng.
Marks’ dissertation was on “The Thin Green Line: A Socio-Historical Analysis of Conservation Law Enforcement in the United States.” His committee included Chair Dr. Willard Oliver and members Drs. Jerry Dowling and Larry Hoover.

More than 30 other students received graduate degrees, which were delivered in traditional classes, on weekends or online. Among the degrees awarded were:

Dr. Gaylene Armstrong (l) hugs a graduate, while Alumni Relations Director Cutty Gilbert looks on (r).
• Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice
• Master of Science in Security Studies
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management Online
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management Weekend

The Fall 2013 graduating class included more than 230 undergraduates.

The Commencement Ceremony, held on Dec. 14 at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, featured keynote speaker Preston Johnson Jr., president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Houston and Southeast Texas Region. Johnson has more than 30 years of leadership experience in finance, business, employee development and human resource management.

A graduate readies for Commencement.Johnson earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from Sam Houston State University in 1977 and his MBA from the University of Houston in 1983. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of SHSU in 2003, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Houston, Clear Lake, and is a member of the SHSU College of Business Administration Hall of Honor.

Working in six different positions for the Dow Chemical Company from 1977 until 2000, Johnson was a key principal in the global transformation of the company to increase productivity by providing business alignment, eliminating hierarchy leadership and creating a sustainable competitive advantage for Dow globally.

In 2000, Johnson joined CenterPoint Energy, Inc., as the senior vice president of human resources and shared services. He has also served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at McDermott International, Inc., and vice president of human resources for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

Dr. Holly Miller makes a presentation to CJ graduates and their friends and families at a pre-Commencement reception. Most recently, he was an independent business consultant for Delta Airlines. In his role with Delta, he served as the interim vice president of people and organization for Monroe Energy, LLC, which is a 100 percent wholly owned subsidiary of Delta.

Johnson serves on the SHSU President’s Advisory Circle, the College of Business Administration’s Advisory Board, and the Texas Business and Education Coalition Board of Directors.

Wed, Feb 12, 2014
2:00 - 3:00pm
Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom

Mon Feb 10, 2014
2 - 3 P.M.
CJ Courtroom

Thomas (Tom) A. McCormick is the Insurance Fraud Section Chief with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

Thu, Mar 20, 2014
2:OOpm - 3:00pm
CJ Courtroom

Alumnus Steven Wood is the Senior Manager of Corporate Investigations and Channel Development for Starbucks.

Date: January 23-24, 2014


Location: College of Criminal Justice and the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas

This two day course will provide the fundamental physics of bloodstaining and the recognition, processing and analysis of bloodstains at crime scenes. Hands on experience applied to classroom exercises such as calculating impact angle to determine the bloods point of origin.

BOOKING AND PRICING

Cost: $250.00

To register and pay for the course visit the STAFS website at http://www.cjcenter.org/stafs/training.html

ACCOMMODATIONS

For Hotel reservation contact the University Hotel (936)-291-2151

Discount room rate: $77.95 +tax/night

For More Information:

Course Information: Dr. Joan Bytheway (936) 294-2310; Bytheway@shsu.edu

Administrative Questions: Tammy Winkler (936)294-1674; icc_tlw@shsu.edu

Wed March 5, 2014
10:00am - 2:00pm
Lowman Student Center
Ballroom

The 2014 Criminal Justice Career Fair will feature numerous agencies from the field to discuss job and internship opportunities with current students, graduates and alumni.

June 16-20, 2014

Location: STAFS

Forensic Entomology

Entomology is a 3-day short course will providing a foundation of insect biology with a concentration on forensically significant insects and focus on how insects are used in forensic proceedings.
Cost: $400.00 June 16-18

Digital Forensics

Digital Forensics is a 2-day short course that will focus on examination of computer hard drives including recovering emails, Skype messages, pictures, and documents, even files the user thought were deleted. Also teachers will learn how to look for messages hidden in pictures.
Cost: $300.00 June 19-20

DISCOUNTED PRICE: COMBINED CLASSES AT $600.00 IF REGISTERED AND PAID BY FEBRUARY 1, 2014

To register and pay for the course visit the STAFS website at http://www.cjcenter.org/stafs/training.html

ACCOMMODATIONS

For Hotel reservation contact the University Hotel (936)-291-2151
Discount room rate: $77.95 +tax/night

For More Information:
Course Information: Dr. Joan Bytheway (936) 294-2310; Bytheway@shsu.edu
Administrative Questions: Tammy Winkler (936)294-1674; icc_tlw@shsu.edu

Are you a high school student age 15-17 interested in criminal justice? Would you like to gain hands-on experience in criminal justice? Would you like to meet law enforcement agents, professors, and other students that share your interest? Would you like to tour the prison, crime lab, or morgue? Would you like to investigate a mock crime scene?

If you have dreams of a career in criminal justice, come get a glimpse of the real deal. Visit with law enforcement agents, professors, and criminal justice students, as well as go on tours of a prison, crime lab, and morgue. Participate in activities that give you hands-on experience, such as investigating a mock crime scene, being arrested, arresting someone else, and the like.

Past camps have had speakers from the DEA, U.S. Marshals, FBI, Houston Fire Investigation, U.S. Military Police, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Harris County Medical Examiner's office, Huntsville Police, and Sam Houston State University. Past camp activities have included introductions to forensic technology, martial arts, law, and team-building exercises. For a better idea of the activities last years campers were engaged in, check out a sample itinerary*.

One past camper when asked what his/her favorite activity was answered: The "crime lab. I liked to see all the evidence and see equipment used to find evidence."

Come experience four straight days in the field of criminal justice! Can't wait to see you!!!

CJ Summer Camp 2014 Dates:

Session I: July 6-10

Session II: July 13-17

Session III: July 20-24

Session IV: July 27-31

Summer Camp Forms

Application will open in January 2014

Half Scholarships will be available

Please Note:

The cost of this year’s camp is $600. This includes hotel stay, all meals and activities.

Participants must be 15-17 years of age at the time of the designated camp session.

All applications must be postmarked by April 4, 2014

Applicants will be notified bymail no later than April 21, 2014 if they have been selected.

Complete camp payment must be received no later than May 30, 2014.

No refund will be given if cancelation is within two weeks of designated camp session.

For any questions regarding information about the camp contact:
Fabia Mendez Summer Camp Coordinator
936-294-1702
fxb001@shsu.edu

Date: July 7-11, 2014
Location: College of Criminal Justice and the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas

The collection of all skeletal elements is essential for an accurate assessment of trauma, identifying features or other biological identifiers such as age, sex and ancestry to identify the unknown.

This four day, intense, hands-on, short course teaches the fundamental principles of forensic anthropology used in the recovery and analysis of human skeletal remains. Methods used in the estimation of sex, age, stature, and ancestry will be covered with hands-on exercises. The course will include lectures and practical applications in anthropology and field recovery activities of human skeletal remains. This is an applied course using real human skeletons. Endurance in field recovery is required.

BOOKING AND PRICING
Cost: $500.00 ($450.00 if registered and paid my March 14, 2014).
To register and pay for the course visit the STAFS website at http://www.cjcenter.org/stafs/training.html

ACCOMMODATIONS
For Hotel reservation contact the University Hotel (936)-291-2151
Discount room rate: $77.95 +tax/night

For More Information:
Course Information: Dr. Joan Bytheway (936) 294-2310; Bytheway@shsu.edu
Administrative Questions: Tammy Winkler (936)294-1674; icc_tlw@shsu.edu

Date: July 28-31, 2014
Location: College of Criminal Justice and the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas

This four day course focuses on courtroom proceedings, testifying as an expert witness and the skills necessary to become a more effective witness in court. Mock courtroom trials in a courtroom will be part of the practical exercises.

BOOKING AND PRICING

Cost: $650.00 ($595.00 if registered and paid by March 15, 2014).
To register and pay for the course visit the STAFS website at http://www.cjcenter.org/stafs/training.html

ACCOMMODATIONS
For Hotel reservation contact the University Hotel (936)-291-2151
Discount room rate: $77.95 +tax/night

For More Information:
Course Information: Dr. Joan Bytheway (936) 294-2310; Bytheway@shsu.edu
Administrative Questions: Tammy Winkler (936)294-1674; icc_tlw@shsu.edu