Assistant Director of Public Safety Completes FBI Training

Georgia Southern University Assistant Director of Public Safety Maj. Laura McCullough graduated recently from the FBI National Academy (FBINA) at Quantico, Va. She is the first police officer from Georgia Southern to participate in the 10 week investigative, management and fitness training program.

For eight hours a day, McCullough attended classes on a wide range of subjects including legal issues, interrogation, ethics and leadership. “I loved this experience and learned a lot of new techniques and skills that can be put into practice by our officers,” said McCullough, who has been in law enforcement for 13 years. “We had great learning opportunities from veteran FBI agents who shared their experiences and methods they have used to solve crimes and catch criminals.” Some of the FBINA training reinforced some of the practices and procedures already in place at Public Safety. There were also areas to develop new investigative skills. “One class taught us to not only listen to what someone says, but how they say it or what they don’t say at all,” explained McCullough. “That, along with body language and facial expression, can tell us a lot about what may have happened in an incident. I can share this information with our officers as we help victims and solve crimes at Georgia Southern.” The FBI National Academy was also a great networking opportunity for McCullough that allowed her to create new relationships with veteran investigators. “My FBI instructors and classmates told me ‘Anytime you need something, call or email because we are here for you,’” said McCullough. “That is a great resource for us. We have instant access and contact with people in the FBI from the forensics labs to field agents. This is a huge bonus to help our department move forward and become stronger.” McCullough was one of 268 local law enforcement officers from the U.S. and around the world to graduate from the training program last month. She was recommended for the National Academy by Statesboro FBI Special Agent Ed Sutcliff. Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 125 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.