MEDIA ADVISORY
UT COMMUNICATIONS
865-974-2225
WHAT: UT’s National Forensic Academy christens its new training facility with a ribbon “explosion” ceremony and training demonstrations.
WHEN: 1:15 p.m., Monday, Aug. 18.
WHERE: 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
ATTENDEES: Scheduled participants are renowned forensic anthropologist William “Bill” Bass; U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn; past NFA class president and Texas Ranger Joe Haralson; and UT officials including President John Petersen, Vice President for Public and Government Relations Hank Dye, and UT Vice President of Public Service Mary Jinks.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: The media are invited to join speakers on a pre-event tour of the facility at 1 p.m., and then attend the ribbon explosion ceremony and demonstrations of evidence collection techniques.
DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 40, take exit 376 for TN-162 north toward Oak Ridge. Merge onto Pellissippi Parkway/TN-162 W. Slight left at Oak Ridge Hwy/TN-62 W. Continue to follow TN-62 W. Sharp right at Lafayette Drive. Turn left at Oak Ridge Turnpike/TN-95.
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The National Forensic Academy is a 10-week, in-residence training program where a select group of crime scene investigators from law enforcement organizations around the country learn about evidence identification, collection, preservation and submission.
Since the NFA began in 2001, 320 CSIs from 48 states, the District of Columbia and one foreign country have completed the academy. Participants have come from large agencies, including the New York Police Department, the Texas Rangers and the Alaska State Troopers, as well as from small towns like Belmont, N.H., which has a 20-member police force. There is a waiting list for admission to the NFA.
The NFA is a program of the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center’s National Forensic Science Institute, all of which are part of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service.
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Contacts:
Queena Jones, (865) 974-1533, queena.jones@tennessee.edu
Amy Blakely, media relations, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu