School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Archives

Mock Trial team advances to national competition rounds

March 12, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

One of Missouri State University’s Mock Trial teams has advanced to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) annual national tournament.

Twenty-three teams from 15 different universities competed in the AMTA regional tournament Feb. 21-22. The University of Oklahoma’s College of Law in Norman, Oklahoma, hosted this year’s regionals.

Only six teams could advance to first round national competition, said Dr. Jordan Riddell, Mock Trial coach and faculty advisor. Riddell is also an assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

This year, team 1083 from Missouri State was among those six.

Missouri State sent two Mock Trial teams to the regionals. “Both teams faced stiff competition, with each facing three teams from nationally ranked mock trial programs,” Riddell said.

Next stop: Memphis

The ORCS will be held March 20-22 in Memphis, Tennessee. Rhodes College hosts this year’s event at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center.

Missouri State’s team will need to finish in the top six to advance beyond the ORCS, Riddell said.

“Team 1083 will face strong competitors from nationally ranked programs,” Riddell said. “They may end up going head-to-head against teams from top-ten ranked programs like University of Texas, University of Georgia and Rhodes College.”

This season, Mock Trial students have competed in seven tournaments, Riddell said. Six of those tournaments were invitationals, including the annual Bear Brawl tournament, which Missouri State hosts. They also competed in tournaments at the University of Arkansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Kansas, University of Missouri-Columbia and the George Allen Courthouse, hosted by Texas A&M University, in Dallas, Texas.

Now taking applications for CSI Camp 2026

February 12, 2026 by Reynolds College

Missouri State University’s Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) camp celebrates its fourth year with two full sessions during Summer 2026.

Incoming high school students — freshmen through seniors — are eligible to attend. The program is sponsored by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Camp 1: June 8-11, 2026
Camp 2: July 27-30, 2026

How to apply

Applications are being accepted online.

CSI Camp tuition is $275 per camper. Tuition fees include a camp t-shirt and daily lunch.

Sessions run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.

This is a day camp that does not include breakfast, dinner, nightly lodging or transportation to and from the camp each day.

Each camp can accept up to 40 students.

Learn more

Emphasis on immersive learning

CSI Camp remains a popular option to introduce high school students to the world of criminology and criminal justice.

Campers participate in immersive learning activities such as collecting and reading fingerprints, analyzing blood spatter and ballistic analysis. They will even work a mock crime scene during their session.

Contact information

Registration, payment and administrative assistance: Christy Titus.

Camp curriculum: Dr. Michael Kyle.

General questions: School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at 417-836-3799 or criminology@missouristate.edu.

Check out CSI Camp

RCASH sets new participation record in Education Abroad programs

October 29, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

The Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) continues its impressive participation in Missouri State University’s Education Abroad program.

For the 2024-25 academic year, RCASH led in both the number of participants and percentage of graduates who engage in study abroad.

According to a report issued by Education Abroad Director Elizabeth Strong, 188 RCASH students participated in education abroad programs during the 2024-25 academic year. That number is up from 177 during the previous year.

“This growth is reflected in the percentage of RCASH education abroad participants compared to RCASH graduates in the same academic year, which is 28.5%,” Strong said.

A total of 434 Missouri State students participated in education abroad programs during 2024-25.

In addition, of the 316 faculty-directed activities, 140 were led by RCASH faculty.

Panzer and Geibler named 2026 Education Abroad Faculty Fellows

Two RCASH faculty members have been named to the 2026 Education Abroad Faculty Fellow cohort. They are Associate Professor Dr. Sarah Panzer, from the Department of History, and Assistant Professor Dr. Robert Geibler, from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Other Missouri State faculty named to the cohort are Alison Alaimo (McQueary College of Health and Human Services), Mandy Benedict-Chambers (College of Education), Leslie Echols (McQueary College of Health and Human Services), Asif Ishtiaque (College of Natural and Applied Sciences), Nancy Kageyama (Darr College of Agriculture) and Kristen Thornton (College of Business).

RCASH schedules robust Education Abroad activity for 2026

RCASH Dean Shawn Wahl said he continues to be impressed by faculty engagement with Education Abroad.

“Their collaboration across academic areas to deliver impactful learning experiences for our students is inspiring,” he said. “This collaboration is the essence of Missouri State as the Public Affairs University.”

Several RCASH faculty have already scheduled Education Abroad activities for 2026, Strong noted.

2025 Education Abroad Faculty Fellows Nikki Ferry and William Harwood — Greece
2025 Education Abroad Faculty Fellow Jeff Loughary (coordinated with Dr. Tonia Tinsley) — Morocco
Leslie Seawright — United Arab Emirates
Jonathan Newman and Rhonda Stanton — United Kingdom
Cameron LaBarr — Australia and New Zealand
Antoinette Barffour — Ghana
Vadim Putzu — Italy
Gwen Walstrand and Marcus Howell — Italy
Luis Lombilla — Mexico and Spain
Jason Shepard — Ecuador [“Eight Missouri State students enjoy studying in Ecuador“]
Vanessa Rodriguez de la Vega — Peru
Holly Holladay and Cristina Pippa — United Kingdom
Amy Muchnick — United Kingdom

Learn more about Education Abroad

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice enjoys record enrollment for Fall 2025

August 28, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ) set an opening day enrollment record for new bachelor degree-seeking majors for the Fall 2025 semester.

“A total of 115 first-time new-in-college (FTNIC) and first-time transfer students joined us as criminology undergraduates,” said Dr. Brett Garland, director of CCJ. This number represented an increase of 21% over the corresponding 2024 numbers.

“Both new groups grew, but the most dramatic jump came from FTNIC students, rising nearly 30% to 80 students and surpassing our previous record of 67 set in 2015,” Garland said.

Expanded recruitment brings results

Flyer advertising an open house — Click on the image to download the CCJ 2025 Open House flyer.

CCJ recently expanded its recruitment efforts, including hosting a fall open house event and conducting a summer introductory crime scene investigation camp for high school students.

Garland added that the Office of Marketing and Communications has been especially helpful with the School’s video and social media campaigns.

Open House event scheduled for Oct. 6

According to Garland, the School’s fall open house is its “most visible initiative.” The event attracts approximately 200 prospective students, he said.

This year’s open house event is set for October 6.

Morning activities include meeting prosecutors, FBI agents and other criminal justice professionals, virtual reality simulations and opportunities to visit with students and professors about the program. Participants will enjoy a guided tour of the campus during the afternoon.

Kids Donation Drive for local center runs through April 14

April 4, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Kenzi Seay, a senior criminology and criminal justice major, has organized the Kids Donation Drive in coordination with the Greene County Family Justice Center (FJC).

Seay is collecting donations until April 14. The organization is asking for toys, books or children’s hygiene products.

Collections boxes will be available across campus until April 7. A collection box will remain in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice main office (Strong Hall, Room 207) until April 14.

But even after April 14, people can still help out.

“The Family Justice Center is always collecting donations for victims of domestic violence,” Seay said. “They also have volunteer opportunities, if you’d like to help in a hands-on way.”

Public affairs mission in action

According to senior instructor Caryn Saxon, the Kids Donation Drive was entirely Seay’s initiative and serves as an excellent example of Missouri State’s public affairs mission.

“I could not be more impressed and proud of Kenzi’s work on this,” Saxon noted. “She observed a problem, created a solution and then took action to make her vision a reality. Through her efforts, she is spreading awareness about FJC while also giving others a way to contribute to their mission.”

Seay volunteers at FJC and also interns with its partner agency, Legal Services of Southern Missouri. She began volunteering in October 2024 and started her internship in January 2025. Her duties include answering phones, clerical work and intake interviews.

“It’s a really interesting experience working as both an intern and volunteer in different parts of the building because I am able to see the process from start to finish in different roles,” she noted.