Land Grant Research and Activities
North Dakota State University is a land-grant institution. A land-grant university is mandated by federal law to educate the people of its state and solve problems through academic, research, and extension programs. Faculty in the Department of Criminal Justice are actively involved in research projects and community events that contribute to NDSU's land grant mission. Here are some recent examples:
In the fall 2021 and spring 2022, Dr. Carol Archbold was a guest speaker for the "Personal and Business Law" class and the "Street Law" class at Davies High School in Fargo, ND. These courses attract students who are interested in criminal justice and law. This was a great opportunity to share exciting research projects being conducted by NDSU CJ faculty with students, and to encourage students to consider NDSU after they graduate from high school.
On December 7, 2021, Dr. Kevin Thompson (Professor, NDSU Dept. of Criminal Justice) was interviewed by local news KVLY regarding social media and school shootings.
On June 17, 2021, Dr. Amy Stichman (Associate Professor of Criminal Justice) discussed crime trends in North Dakota
On July 7, 2020, Dr. Jeff Bumgarner was interviewed by a local new station regarding the use of non-lethal force.
On October 27, 2021, Dr. Kevin Thompson and Dr. Amy Stichman served as panelists who critiqued presentations by chemistry students at West Fargo High School. The presentations focused on criminal investigation. Students, in small groups, identified chemicals on potential suspects of a crime. This activity was part of a project-based learning experience for the high school students.
In 2020, Dr. Andrew (AJ) Myer was awarded a grant to work with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to evaluate their pretrial pilot project that is currently happening in North Dakota. The pretrial pilot project aims to reduce jail populations and improve outcomes for those recently arrested and awaiting trial. If an arrestee qualifies at a pilot location, they would be supervised in the community rather than detained in jail. Dr. Myer will be analyzing data to determine whether the program is meeting its objectives and whether successful outcomes have been demonstrated. Information from this project will be used to inform the North Dakota legislature in its upcoming session. This project will provide funding for a graduate student in the Criminal Justice Graduate program.
On June 10, 2020, Dr. Jeff Bumgarner discussed the disbanding of police agencies.