Wichita State University marked the opening of a federal forensic laboratory on its Innovation Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 18, expanding the university’s role in applied learning and national public safety efforts.  

The ceremony was held at the new ATF Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory — developed in partnership with Wichita State’s Midwest Criminal Justice Institute and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

The facility is designed to analyze firearms-related evidence and support investigations across the country, creating hands-on learning opportunities for WSU students in criminal justice, forensic science and related fields, allowing them to work alongside law enforcement professionals using industry-standard tools and techniques. 

“Wichita State University is proud to partner with ATF in building a program that connects education directly to real-world impact,” said Wichita State President Rick Muma. “Through our forensic science programs and applied learning opportunities, we’re feeding the talent pipeline so the next generation of professionals can literally step out of the classroom and step into critical roles that support public safety and strengthen communities nationwide.” 

The laboratory will process crime gun evidence, including firearms, bullets and cartridge casings, and contribute data to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which helps investigators link firearms to multiple crimes. 

The facility brings several forensic functions into one location, including firearm and toolmark examinations, DNA analysis, latent fingerprint processing, and crime gun intelligence support. The centralized model is intended to speed the processing of evidence and generate investigative leads more quickly. 

The laboratory is located alongside other ATF programs already operating on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus, including the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Excellence, the Wichita Crime Gun Intelligence Center and NIBIN National Correlation and Training Center II. The combined presence is expected to strengthen Wichita’s role as a national hub for forensic science and crime gun intelligence. 

Students working in the lab will gain experience analyzing evidence and supporting active investigations, which will address a national shortage of trained forensic professionals. 

“This research facility represents exactly what our Innovation Campus was designed to do: bring together higher education, government and industry to solve real-world problems,” Muma said. “That collaboration matters, because partnerships with federal agencies like the ATF strengthen public safety, expand research capability, and help fuel and diversify our state and regional economy.”   

The lab is expected to expand operations over the next several years as staffing and capabilities increase. 

Officials said the facility will support local, state and federal law enforcement agencies by providing timely forensic analysis and intelligence to help solve and prevent gun-related crimes. 

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 25,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry- and defense-funded engineering R&D and No. 9 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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