August 26, 2024 | By Abby Lorch
A student reviews evidence while working at the Cold Case Analysis Center, formerly housed within the College of Saint Rose.
Photo Credit: CBS6Albany
When the College of Saint Rose closed after the Spring 2024 semester, the fate of its Cold Case Analysis Center remained unclear.
But the CCAC has since found a home in the University at Albany School of Criminal Justice, allowing local students to continue investigating long-unsolved crimes and disappearances.
The CCAC launched in 2018 at Saint Rose, and was the first of its kind in New York State.
Its early work included reviewing the disappearance of Suzanne Lyall, a UAlbany student who went missing in 1998, and the 1959 murder of Ruth Whitman in Colonie.
In the following years, Saint Rose students continued to investigate cold cases from the Capital Region and beyond.
Russell Sage College opened its own Criminal Investigation Resource Center, modeled after Saint Rose’s program, earlier this year.
UAlbany graduate Dr. Camela Hughes took over as director of the program last year. Soon after Saint Rose announced its impending closure in December, UAlbany reached out to Hughes about relocating the center.
Hughes, a visiting assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice, said the center has done important work on behalf of victims and their families in the past. With UAlbany’s resources, she envisions an even more impactful future for the program.
“The CCAC has allowed investigative agencies and families to feel that cases have received an additional review to help identify other areas of inquiry, such as other persons of interest or forensic tests to use,” Hughes said to the Albany Student Press. “I believe the resources at UAlbany will significantly increase the ability of the CCAC to do its work and assist more agencies and families.”
In a press release shared by UAlbany, Hughes added that the university’s highly-ranked criminal justice program and research efforts in fields like psychology, sociology, forensics, chemistry and biology will bolster the CCAC’s mission. The release included an endorsement from Saint Rose’s former head of forensic psychology and criminal justice, Robert Flint, who said UAlbany “will provide the infrastructure and support to make this a model program in the United States.”
Ten former Saint Rose students have followed Hughes to UAlbany and will continue interning at the CCAC this fall. The program is expected to hire between 20 to 25 students each semester. Undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines may pursue internships in the CCAC, which is now located in Draper Hall on UAlbany’s downtown campus. Students from the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) are also welcome to apply.
Application requirements include a letter of recommendation and a background check. Selected interns will be assigned to interdisciplinary teams, where they will work to resolve cases alongside investigative agencies, prosecutors, nonprofits and families.
“The work for cases depends significantly on the type of case,” Hughes said. “Students review all material and help to organize the case file. They may review interviews, crime scene photos, and results of forensic tests. In some cases. they may engage in genealogical research, archival research, or analyze media coverage.”
Experiential learning is not the only educational component of the internship program. Students will participate in weekly supplemental lectures on concepts in criminal justice. When analyzing decades-old or little-known cases, students may also be tasked with raising awareness of victims’ stories.
Pamela Hoxha, a senior transfer student from Saint Rose now studying criminal justice at UAlbany, has interned at the CCAC since January.
“The most rewarding aspect for me is that I am actively participating in solving cold cases, and the fact that I’ve been entrusted with it,” Hoxha said. “This goes hand in hand with the fact that by working on these cases, you make the families of the victims heard and the victims not forgotten. It’s a feeling that words can’t fully express.”
Hoxha expressed optimism about the program’s relocation, speculating that both the CCAC and UAlbany will benefit from the partnership. She is confident that her experience at the center has prepared her well for a career in criminal justice.
“In my opinion, CCAC signals trust,” she said. “The criminal justice sector requires a level of trust, and being a part of CCAC definitely makes you stand out. Joining the program because you want to help bring closure to the families will only make you more passionate about what you’re doing.”
Hughes echoed Hoxha, saying CCAC interns become uniquely poised to succeed in the working world through their experience in the program.
“Working in the CCAC helps students develop organizational skills and critical thinking skills,” she said. “The work with investigators can lead to additional internships and job opportunities and creates a foundation for recommendations for employment or graduate school.”
Students can apply for a CCAC internship online.
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