Parkersburg, W.Va. (Dec 14, 2022) – In November, members of the WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice Student Organization attended the 25th Annual WV Criminal Justice Educators Association conference held at Fairmont State University. They heard from various presenters on criminal justice topics, spoke with representatives from national agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and participated in a re-entry simulation and discussion with formerly incarcerated individuals.

The conference provides opportunities for criminal justice students and faculty from across the state to present their work and hear from each other about current issues in the field. Andrew Walker, WVU Parkersburg associate professor and Criminal Justice program coordinator, presented research on forensic awareness and its impact on crimes.

WVU Parkersburg Criminal Justice student Hannah Stephens presented her work originally completed in the program’s Serial Homicide course. Stephens also received the Conference Scholar Award and placed first in the statewide undergraduate paper competition. Her paper, “Samuel Little: A Brief Summary and Analysis of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer,” will be published in the Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice.

The students also participated in competitions at the conference. The quiz bowl team, consisting of students Breauna Anderson, Nichole Dellinger, Jasmine Hockman, Megan Higgins, and Hannah Stephens, made it to the final round and placed second in the competition. The crime scene team, consisting of Isaac Algmin, Breauna Anderson, Franki Harrah, Megan Higgins, Nichole Dellinger, and Hannah Stephens, won second place in their competition.

The WV Criminal Justice Educators Association began in 1992 to promote the change of educational ideas and coursework among institutions of higher learning and criminal justice training entities in the state. Walker is a past president of the association, and WVU Parkersburg Instructor Amy Strong was elected second vice president. She will serve as the chair for the 2023 Annual Conference hosted at WVU Parkersburg.