Representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation came to the University of Tennessee at Martin’s main campus to provide a program called the FBI Collegiate Academy to show students what work at the FBI is like.
The sessions of the FBI Collegiate Academy were held in the Latimer-Smith Engineering and Science Building at UT Martin.
Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Tennessee Division of the FBI was one of several FBI employees who spoke to the students.
“Students will get a better understanding of what the FBI does, what our role is – not what they see on television and in movies,” he said. “Our goal is to peel back the layers and give them a greater understanding of what the real mission and what the dedication of the folks who work at the FBI are all about, and not just what they read on a social media post.”
Several of the 20 students in attendance are majoring in computer science or cybersecurity, areas of great growth in FBI investigations, Carrico said.
“Everybody is up against this AI (artificial intelligence) world that we’re rolling into,” he said. “Science, technology, engineering and math are a huge need that we have to fill.”
Carrico said the FBI Collegiate Academy is a great opportunity for the FBI to engage with the community and get its message out to the people.
“We seek to make the students ambassadors who go out and set others straight about what the FBI does,” he said. “We’re hoping that through the Collegiate Academy and our Citizens Academy – which are made up of business, community and religious leaders – that people learn about what the FBI does, to educate people about what we do.”
“Students have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the opportunities we have related to internships and career opportunities,” Carrico said. “Basically, it just creates a relationship between us and this university to continue that discussion going forward.”
Dr. Lily Pharris, assistant professor of computer science, was the university’s liaison in arranging for the FBI Collegiate Academy to be held at UT Martin.
“As a faculty member, one of the most important things I can do is expose students to opportunities that prepare them for success in the workforce,” she said. “Hosting the FBI Collegiate Academy at UT Martin is an incredible opportunity for our university and our students because it does exactly that. It introduces students to career paths they may not have previously considered and allows them to engage directly with professionals in the field.”
UT Martin students taking part in the FBI Collegiate Academy – with their class, major and hometown – included Nasir Davis, freshman, cybersecurity, Memphis; Gabrielle Dement, computer science, Martin; Charles Durham, freshman, cybersecurity, Dover; Justin Finn, junior, computer science, Pinson; Connor Gladish, junior, cybersecurity, Adamsville; James Hart, senior, computer science, Jackson; Emily Hartley, freshman, undecided, Holladay; Anna Hensley, senior, computer science, Martin; Rachel Lumpkin, senior, accounting, Somerville; Lacey Marcus, sophomore, chemistry, Trenton; Hope Nason, senior, criminal justice, Munford; Lizette Navarrete, junior, computer science, Clarksville; Yesenia Rendon, senior, computer science, Parsons; Jayden Rice, freshman, engineering, Memphis; KaTeria Scullark, senior, psychology, Memphis; Allison Smith, junior, engineering, Jackson; Gabriel Speer, junior, computer science, Memphis; Madelyn Tyler, freshman, biology, Jackson; Daniel Way, senior, cybersecurity, Selmer; and Zachary Whiteman, senior psychology, Paris.
This is the fourth year for the FBI Collegiate Academy to be held in Tennessee. It started in 2022 at Tennessee State University, was held at Lane College in Jackson in 2023 and again at Tennessee State in 2024.
The UT Martin connection with the FBI began on campus, as Assistant Agent in Charge Jeremy Baker, an agent from the Memphis field office, teaches as an adjunct professor in the university’s digital forensics class.
In the academy, the students learn about the investigations that the FBI handles and other aspects of FBI work like the Evidence Response Team. Computer evidence handlers were on hand to talk about the work they do.
PHOTO: UT Martin students taking part in the FBI Collegiate Academy use special light to examine evidence during one of the sessions. FBI agents showed the students the ins and outs of FBI work, including forensic science and cybersecurity.
