The Ashland University College of Arts and Sciences Criminal Justice department unveiled their new crime scene lab on Monday, Nov. 4.
The largest major in the College of Arts and Sciences received a generous donation from Jim and Barb Chandler.
The idea originated from Director of Criminal Justice and Emergency Management & Homeland Security Programs Anne Strouth to give students in the department a true hands-on experience and real-world skills.
President Jon Parrish Peede attended the ceremony to extend a thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Chandler. He then spoke about the upcoming United States semi-quincentennial on the Fourth of July.
“You wouldn’t think about this space as a civics driven space,” Peede said. “When we’re looking at the start of the colonies and the rebellion against the British government, a lot of it is ‘what rights are we given as citizens?’”
He continued, explaining the foundation of that all is what society does to ensure it is a just society. “And law enforcement officers, investigators, detectives they’re humans. So, what we’re trying to do in this room is somehow marrying everything you’re learning from sociology, psychology, to marry that to forensic science, right?”
The goal he finds, is to make evidence-based decisions and not to give into assumptions; similarly, that’s been what democracy has been doing for 250 years and that’s a part of this new lab Peede found.
He extended appreciation to the Criminal Justice students who’re pursuing careers that he finds they’re essentially saying they’ll be serving the public; in which, is a noble call.
Followed by Peede was Interim Provost and Associate Professor of Political Science Gregory McBrayer who found it heartwarming to look around and see that when there’s an academic need they have friends and supporters that step up and make things happen.
“I think it’s a real testimony to the direction of the university that increasingly we’re seeing things like this center being stood up on campus, with the kind of support of administration it’s part of advancement team facilities we’ve mentioned,” McBrayer said. “So, this is a big deal.”
He extended another thanks to the donors: “So, I’d like to take the generosity of the donors, first and foremost, above all. But also, the hard work of the faculty and staff, we worked on this as well.”
Strouth then followed up with a few remarks on how the crime lab will aid students in their skills: “Those problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and to teach it in a classroom we could, but this just gives them that opportunity and honestly I really thank [the Chandlers] from the bottom of my heart.”
The lab will have items such as microscopes that are able to grab their evidence and analyze it a bit to draw the major into the sciences.
Finally, the Chandlers expressed how they’ve always supported Ashland University.
“We’re all about students going to higher-ed and actually graduate with something that’s going that’s going to be almost immediately usable,” Mr. Chandler said.
They trusted in Strouth’s plan: “When we heard Anne’s background and well how can somebody so young have accomplished so much and highly respected in everything that she’s done. So that’s what clinched it for us, students getting real world experience, you’re going to be employable.”
The lab is located in the Ashland University Kettering Science Building.
