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Wichita State and ATF build firearm-forensics training, labs and workforce pipeline on Innovation Campus
Summary
Wichita State University told the Joint Committee on Kansas Security that an expanding partnership with ATF and other federal and local law-enforcement agencies is creating forensic lab, training and workforce capacity on the Innovation Campus, including a planned ATF forensic gun laboratory.
Wichita State University officials described an expanding public-private and federal partnership to provide applied learning, forensic training and research on the university—s Innovation Campus.
Andy Schlapp (vice president for government relations and strategy) and Kristen Brewer (executive director, Midwest Criminal Justice Institute) said Wichita State hosts multiple federal law-enforcement activities on campus: a National Correlation and Training Center for ballistic evidence, an ATF Center of Excellence, a campus-based NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network) correlation capability and a joint law-enforcement training academy co-located with Wichita Police and Sedgwick County Sheriff's training programs. Brewer said the ATF has also approved a multi-million-dollar forensic gun laboratory to be built on campus (federal funding appropriation for the ATF lab was described during testimony) and that the lab will include DNA and firearms exam capabilities and space for applied student training.
Wichita State emphasized applied learning and workforce development: the university pairs students with industry and federal partners for internships, co-ops and paid applied-learning roles. The university said these placements translate directly into local hires and a workforce pipeline for aviation, cybersecurity, forensics and other high-tech sectors. Brewer said new academic programs (a master's in forensic firearms and a forensic-biology track) have been approved and will offer pathways to the National Firearms Examiner's Academy and related laboratory roles.
Ending: Wichita State leaders said the approach grows local capacity for forensic science and gun-crime intelligence, supports federal operational needs, and creates academic and job pathways for Kansas students.
