Tag: FBI Collegiate Academy

By Isaac Mokrane

Even during a government shutdown, the Federal Bureau of Investigation engages in outreach to the broader community. Accordingly, on Wednesday, November 12^th, 2025, forty-five students from Sam Houston State University with an interest in federal law enforcement were selected to attend SHSU’s first-ever FBI Collegiate Academy, organized and led by the LEAP Center.

Over a half-day, students heard from a career panel, learned about the role of genealogy and DNA in solving crimes, helped “solve” an art crime, and learned about the Emergency Response Team.

Douglas Williams, the Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division, welcomed he students to the Field Office before turning it over to a Special Agent who offered insight into a new technique employed by the Bureau to solve crimes and cold cases: genealogy investigation. The session outlined the FBI’s work in evidence examination and presented his work in closing a cold case dating back to 1983: the murder of Susan Eads. Tracing DNA found in a long forgotten, yet perfectly preserved, piece of evidence, investigators were able to retrace the family’s genealogical tree up to a single great-grandparent, and down again. Further testing of recent relatives provided a concrete identification that put the case to rest and brought Eads’ family long needed closure. The work showed the students that the work of the FBI may not be all high-stress and high action, but methodical, research-based, and compassionate for victims who have felt forgotten about.

This presentation was followed by a Career Panel, moderated by Public Affairs Officer Connor Hagan. Five panelists (unnamed here for security reasons) each showcased their positions within the FBI: an Intelligence Analyst working cyber, a Tactical Specialist working gangs, a Special Agent, a Digital Forensic Examiner, and a Supervisory Investigative Specialist. Highly interesting was the fact that four of the five panelists were either alumni or received some sort of graduate education from Sam Houston State University–and the fifth took a class at SHSU! The panelists shared their journeys to becoming Bureau employees, whether it was interning while an undergraduate at Sam Houston State or bouncing through the law enforcement field. Emphasis was placed on the fact that anyone from anywhere can work for the FBI – anyone with the right sort of skills can make it. The panelists cleared up some common misconceptions about their jobs showcased in the media and provided examples of cases they worked on.

Recruiting Agent Becky Nguyen then guided students through the process of an FBI investigation, using the example of a high-profile art crime involving a stolen Stradivarius violin. Students participated by answering questions prompted by SA Nguyen, and received insight into how investigations operate, the jurisdictional processes that are involved, and FBI values and practices. This session segued perfectly into a presentation by an Evidence Response Team Special Agent, Mary Beth. The Houston ERT was notably present during the series of mail bombings in both Austin and Beaumont, TX and the Sutherland Springs mass shooting. Nationally, ERT secured major crime scenes such as 9/11’s Ground Zero and the recent New Year’s Eve terror attack in New Orleans. The Bureau’s forensic evidence technology is groundbreaking and expansive, using such methods as robots and drones, and laser environment scanning for crime scene reconstruction. As Public Affairs Officer Hagan added, the training the FBI’s Evidence Response Team undergoes is “the best of the best”.

Following the morning of activities, students thanked the presenters for their support and service, especially during the government shutdown. The students made their way back downstairs, passing a wall memorializing fallen FBI employees in the line of duty. Students left the building with a new sense of fulfillment and understanding of the sacrifice and commitment every FBI employee embodies, which comes from, as noted by SAC Williams, faith in an institution and purpose “that has been here long before us and will be here long after us.”