PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Nov. 30, 2022) – Prairie View A&M University’s College of Juvenile Justice became the institution to beat at the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice Annual Conference in Austin, Texas. PVAMU’s team went up against several teams from other universities and colleges.
Although this was PVAMU’s first time competing in the crime scene investigation competition, students Demoree Nugent, Timesha Griffin, Jala Davis, Quymesheia Page and Zaria Bell took first place. Criminal justice undergraduate students Zaria Bell, Tyrenique Stampley, Zian Richmond and Robert Vasquez also won the Undergraduate Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl.
“The students worked hard preparing for the competition, utilizing information taught in the practical forensic science and crime scene investigation courses taught in the College of Juvenile Justice,” said Criminalistics Coordinator and Team Coach Shantae Motley. “They received high praise from the judges, one of which was a retired investigator who expressed that their work proved they had a bright future in criminalistics ahead of them.”
Other CSI participants included Jalexis Jackson, Alicia Lacy, Chloe Thomas, Kenya Williams and Robert Vasquez. Juvenile justice doctoral student Dayanand Sundaravadivelu took first place in the Graduate Student Paper Competition (mentored by Sesha Kethineni), and doctoral student Sh-Shanna Ellington took third place (mentored by Myrna Cintron and Camille Gibson). The students also presented academic papers at the conference.
“I am very proud of our students who clearly put in the work before arriving in Austin to be able to compete at a high level. This sort of positive visibility remains a part of the PV legacy,” said COJJ Interim Dean Gibson.
The Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice has been in existence since 1976 and is a regional affiliate organization of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. It includes criminal justice faculty, students and practitioners in six states – Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
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