CAA Quarterly Newsletter
August 2009
Department of Criminal Justice Faculty Accomplishments PRESS RELEASE Dr. Kim Rossmo presented on Criminal Investigative Failures, April 7, 2009, at 7 pm in the Alkek Library Theater at Texas State University-San Marcos. This presentation, based on his new book, discussed problems underlying unsolved investigations and wrongful convictions: tunnel vision and cognitive biases; groupthink and organizational traps; and probability errors in forensic science and criminal profiling. “Criminal Justice Faculty Plan Intelligence Analysis Graduate Certificate” A research team consisting of Drs. Quint Thurman, J.D. Jamieson, and Michael Supancic and assisted by Ms. Valerie Hollier created a 15-hour intelligence analysis graduate certificate curriculum for Texas State University during the 2008-09 academic year. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the team solicited input from several academic units throughout the university community to help devise an in-depth and comprehensive selection of courses that would be useful for enhancing critical thinking and analytical skills that might benefit intelligence community personnel. After many weeks reviewing similar programs at the few, already established Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (ICCAE) Programs, a very diverse curriculum that includes courses in Criminal Justice, Geography, Computer Science, History, Anthropology and a variety of elective courses from other fields of study were grouped together to comprise an optimal certificate program. With careful thought also given to the faculty who would teach these courses, the anticipated curriculum was presented to the 71st Annual TIOG Texas IO Conference and hosted by the National Guard, Texas ARNG Information Operations Group, San Antonio, Texas on June 5, 2009. Published Drs. John McLaren, Verna Henson, and William Stone. "The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and the Successful Sexual Assault Prosecution," Women & Criminal Justice, Vol. 19 Number 2, April-June 2009, pp. 137-152. Drs. Pete Blair, Pablo Martinez, and Donna Vandiver have been awarded tenure.
GRADUATE STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Sarah Scott successfully defended her master's thesis "Validation of the Travis County, Texas Risk Assessment Instrument for the Prediction of Absconding Among Adult Probationers" with a high pass on July 13, 2009. Master’s Graduates Jennifer Carreon, Kyla Broz, Robert Almanza, Erin Gutierrez and Valerie Hollier pose for one last pic before joining the procession for Commencement Ceremonies on Friday, August 14th.