Athens State University celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Crime Analyzation, Simulation, and Experimentation Laboratory (CASElab) today. Located on campus in the Freehauf House, the CASElab provides educational training to Homeland and Corporate Security and Criminal Justice programs, as well as the Child Advocacy Studies Training (CAST). In addition, the lab will offer opportunities to conduct crime scene reenactments, academic research, and mock case simulations.
The CASElab will allow students to conduct exercises in everything from initial and critical responses, case management, home visits, active shooter, cyber criminology, crime scene and forensic investigations, fingerprinting analysis, drug identification, crisis prevention, and evidence collection. Students will have access to professional equipment and utilize best practices regarding crime scene documentation, photography, measurements, and evidence collection techniques.
In the lab’s training area, students will have the ability to analyze ballistics (e.g., comparisons of bullet striations, firing pin comparisons, etc.), prints from various surfaces, tire and foot impressions, physical and trace evidence, and blood spatter at the scene of a crime for documentation purposes used for police reports, child abuse cases, and other legal documents.
“The primary purpose of the CASElab is to implement investigative techniques utilized in the identification, collection, preservation, and analysis of evidence,” said Dr. Quanda Stevenson, Professor of Criminal Justice. “The CASElab is a dedicated space for our students to engage in experiential learning through role-playing scenarios and various investigation exercises. This lab will provide students with opportunities to apply what they learn in class in a simulated space so they can learn in a safe and controlled environment. In addition, students will learn techniques used by the FBI, first responders, MDT, DHR, child advocacy, forensic experts, investigators, and other local, state and federal agencies. The lab will allow faculty and practitioners to fully train our students with workforce readiness skills.”
“At Athens State, we recognize the fragile nature of our law enforcement ecosystem and the critical need for a well-trained workforce in Criminal Justice,” said Dr. David Ragsdale, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “The new CASElab, along with thriving academic programs in Criminal Justice and Homeland and Corporate Security, demonstrate Athens State’s commitment and ability to deliver high-quality programs and relevant workforce support to our students and community.”
For more information about Athens State’s Criminal Justice, CAST, and Homeland and Corporate Security programs, please visit athens.edu/programs. Enrollment for the Spring 2025 semester begins on November 1.