Cedar Crest College to Build Criminal Justice Facility
Cedar Crest College recently announced it will create a new Expert Witness Training Center and Crime Scene Lab for its campus in Allentown, Pa., according to a news release. The college is one of eight in the country to have earned Forensic Science Educational Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) accreditation for its undergraduate and graduate programs. Funding comes through a $608K grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, the news release reports.
The facility will serve students in forensic science, law enforcement, and first response, as well as individuals asked to provide testimony in court. The Expert Witness Center will contain simulated crime scenes, lab space, and a mock courtroom featuring a camera and live monitoring system. Meanwhile, the crime scene lab will feature three spaces resembling a residential house’s bedroom, kitchen, and living room so that students can practice analyzing crime scenes, according to the news release.
“The Center will focus on expert witness testimony, which relies on the proper interpretation of data and may be scientific, technical, or specialized,” said Dr. Lawrence Quarino, director of the college’s forensic science program. “Training will support students in understanding how they say something is often as important as what they say-that phrases or terms that they understand as professionals may not be understood by jurors. In addition, the Center will provide testimony training to personnel in a variety of fields including law enforcement, first responders, and social workers on how to provide a court of law with clear, concise, and meaningful testimony.”
The facilities will be located in Curtis Hall. Renovations are scheduled to begin in fall 2025, and courses should start in spring 2026, the news release reports.
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Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].