The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced that its Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation has earned accreditation from the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), a body of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). The accreditation covers all three emphases of the Forensic Investigation major: Crime Scene Investigation, Medicolegal Death Investigation and Laboratory. UW-Platteville is among a very small number of forensic science programs nationwide to hold this accreditation.

Kaitlyn Greenwood has been recognized for her leadership, academic excellence and commitment to service.

Balancing military duty with online coursework, Lucas Anderson’s commitment to excellence has earned him the honor of LAE valedictorian this December.

Students step into the world of crime-solving, creating forensic evidence for Wisconsin’s State Crime Lab.

UW-Platteville students took part in the nation’s first cold weather mass fatality response exercise, offering forensic training while aiding emergency responders in refining their disaster response strategies.

UW-Platteville’s Criminal Justice Fair offers students real-world opportunities, strong alumni connections and a supportive community that prepares them for successful careers in the field.

The Milwaukee Police Department Forensics Division exemplifies the power of teamwork among graduates of UW-Platteville. Their hands-on training and strong educational foundation have positioned them as leaders in forensic investigation, showcasing the university's impact on law enforcement careers.

UW-Platteville is the first and only public institution in Wisconsin to offer a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Investigation, featuring a hands-on Forensic Investigation Crime Scene House and a world-first training dummy equipped with thermo-chrome paint for simulating blanching livor mortis.

UW-Platteville will recognize Elizabeth Tremelling, academic advisor in Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation, as one of two recipients of the 2024 Dr. Carol Sue Butts Woman of the Year Award, which recognizes employees and students who identify as a woman and make a difference in the lives of others in the campus community.

Raelene Baker started as a passion project that is now on the verge of becoming a multi-state phenomenon. She serves as the director for the Minnesota Prison Doula Projects, a nonprofit organization that helps birth professionals train to become prison doulas for service in penitentiary institutes on the county, state and soon-to-be federal level.

The College of Liberal Arts and Education Faculty Forum Series will start the year with a presentation on Thursday, Feb. 2 by Dr. Patrick Solar and Dr. Frank King, Jr., titled “The War on Drugs: Effective Crime Control or Racism in Action.”

UW-Platteville's Master of Science in Criminal Justice program was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 Online Criminal Justice Master's programs in the nation by Online Schools Guide. The rankings were based on affordability and reputation.

UW-Platteville and Madison College celebrated the signing of three new transfer agreements between the schools, involving the programs of business management, construction management and criminal justice.

Faculty from Forensic Investigation and Computer Science and Software Engineering are collaborating on clandestine grave documentation research.

A group of forensic investigation students had the opportunity to learn more about the field by attending two virtual conferences, the 74th Annual Scientific Conference hosted by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and Mayo Clinic’s 7th Annual Forensic Science Symposium.

The Department of Social Sciences recently announced awards highlighting outstanding student work and accomplishments, including the Outstanding Political Science Graduate Award, special recognition certificates for political science graduates and Outstanding Social Sciences Paper awards.

Timothy Juedes, lecturer of criminal justice and forensic investigation, and a group of his students are investigating the longevity of fingerprints. The research is in its initial phase and is being conducted at the Forensic Investigation Crime Scene House Outdoor Research Facility, where they are determining how long fingerprints can stay on surfaces outside and inside, while comparing results with climate data.

More than 70 criminal justice students currently enrolled in Corrections and Criminology courses at UW-Platteville recently had the opportunity to enhance their coursework when they engaged in Zoom sessions with a panel of inmates from the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution.

UW-Platteville will host its 10th annual Horrific Crime Scene Revisited event on Nov. 6-7. Drawing several hundred attendees in years past, this popular tradition provides an opportunity for students and the community to learn more about the field of forensics.

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Patrick Solar recently published the second edition of his book, “Police Community Relations: A Conflict Management Approach.” 

A team of UW-Platteville researchers is exploring how farmers and rural communities are affected by agricultural land changes and record-high dairy farm closings and their response to policy proposals intended to address the issues.

“I had always wanted to go back to school, but it was always either life, distance or motivation that prevented me from taking those steps,” said alumna Sara Booth. However, in 2016, Booth made the leap and returned to UW-Platteville after 22 years to complete her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, ending her final semester with a 4.0.

Two-time UW-Platteville graduate and Criminal Justice Instructor Chris Polzer was named one of the university’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni. Recipients of the honor, which is presented by the Alumni Association, are chosen for their contributions to and recognition in their professions and communities, and continued engagement with the university.

The UW-Platteville Mock Trial Team participated in its first invitational tournament of the season and received a top witness award. “Testing the Waters” tournament took place virtually from Oct.16-18 and featured 12 colleges from across the country.

Two recent UW-Platteville alumni, Kathryn Bartels and Dominique Kornely, have had their research work accepted for publication in academic journals. Both alumni are former participants of UW-Platteville’s Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program and credit the program for their success.

As the fall semester gets underway, the College of Liberal Arts and Education is offering a number of opportunities outside of the classroom for students, and the wider community, to engage in discussions about race and inequality, as well as the contribution of African American voices to the liberal arts and education fields, through two concurrent forum series.

During the COVID-19 crisis, UW-Platteville faculty and staff have risen to the challenge by adapting and designing novel ways of realigning course delivery to ensure students continue to receive an outstanding, rigorous education, including hands-on learning experiences. This includes Dan Román, lecturer of forensic investigation, who modified his spring Crime Scene Diagramming course.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Mock Trial Team had an impressive showing at the American Mock Trial Association Regional Tournament held recently in Wheaton, Illinois.

On Thursday, March 12, Wisconsin State Assembly Rep. Melissa Sargent will present “Representation and Justice in Politics” in Room 136 Doudna Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 5 p.m. The presentation, sponsored by the university’s Social and Environmental Justice Program, is free and open to all.

The UW System Board of Regents has granted its approval to offer a 12-course, 34-credit online master’s degree in cybersecurity. The program is a collaboration of University of Wisconsin Extended Campus and eight UW System campuses, including UW-Platteville.

The UW-Platteville Mock Trial Team won the Mary Lynn Neuhaus Civility Award at the 32nd National Mock Trial Invitational. Recipients of the award are chosen by their peers as the team that most exemplifies civility, sportsmanship and courtesy.

The Department of Criminal Justice will host its biannual Restorative Justice Conference in the university’s Velzy Commons, Ullsvik Hall, from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

This fall, four UW-Platteville students had an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by volunteering their time and talents at Platteville’s Ruby’s Pantry, a nonprofit, faith-based organization in Platteville that provides food for Southwest Wisconsin and surrounding communities.

This fall, three UW-Platteville psychology students led a 12-week forgiveness discussion group for inmates at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution, a medium security state prison.

Dr. Staci Strobl, associate professor of criminal justice at UW-Platteville, and two colleagues recently received the American Society of Criminology Division of White-Collar and Corporate Crime’s 2019 Outstanding Article Award at the organization’s annual meeting in San Francisco, California.

UW-Platteville students, faculty and staff and Platteville community members helped solve a simulated crime at the ninth annual Horrific Crime Scene Revisited event held recently at Rountree Gallery in Platteville.

Nineteen criminal justice students recently gained critical skills in tactical response and hostage negotiations during a “barricaded subjects, armed and with hostages” scenario drill conducted by the Grant/Iowa County Crisis Resolution Team, the county’s special weapons and tactics law enforcement unit.

Dr. Staci Strobl, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been asked to join an international team of scholars convened by the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianization project, based at the Richardson Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Lancaster in Lancashire, England.

Tim Juedes, a lecturer of criminal justice, is a UW-Platteville alumnus and has taught forensic investigation courses at the university since spring 2015. His specialties are fingerprint analysis and criminalistics.