Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025 • Cristal Gonzalez : Contact

Pat Eddings’ special topics course begins at 3:30 every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, but her students are showing up as many as two hours early.

They’re eager to dive into three unsolved homicide cases through a partnership with the Arlington Police Department (APD). The 15 students selected for this unique opportunity have full access to the case files and are combing through them in hopes of shedding light on these newly opened cold cases.

The course is the result of a collaboration between The University of Texas at Arlington and the APD’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, spearheaded by Eddings, director of UT Arlington’s forensic applications in science and technology minor and a senior lecturer. She pitched the idea last year to APD Homicide Sergent Blake Ritchie, who enthusiastically agreed.

Eddings said the students selected all have a strong passion for pursuing crime scene investigation and forensics as a career path.

Related: UTA excels in Crime Scene Investigation Competition

Sarah Ciuffetelli, a senior chemistry major with a minor in forensics, is a nontraditional student who decided to pursue her bachelor’s later in life. She first enrolled at another institution before transferring to UTA specifically for the forensics minor.

“I wanted to be able to take classes like the hair and fiber course, the crime scene investigation course—obviously a class like this where I could learn as much about forensics,” said Ciuffetelli. “I know it’ll make a huge difference when I start looking for a job to tell people about all the experience I’ve had and everything I learned here.”

For Ciuffetelli, this course reaffirms that she chose the right program.

“It’s really interesting to me to actually be able to dive in and apply everything I’ve learned so far to a real case and have it hopefully make a difference,” she said. “Forensics is such an important side of law enforcement; it makes all the difference in the outcomes of these crimes.”

When Caitlyn Valdez first started at UTA, all she knew was that she wanted a career helping people. With guidance from her professors, she discovered that criminology and criminal justice was her true calling.

“When I see how excited my professors are to have us as students it makes me want to stay here,” Valdez said. “I have professors who are retired FBI agents, professors who worked in pathology and in dental forensics. Hearing about their careers and their purpose makes me feel like I have that purpose, too.”

Valdez says she’s learned so much that she has developed an interest in every aspect of solving a crime—collecting evidence on scene, processing it in a lab and presenting it in court—but her true passion lies in giving victims’ families closure.

“I see myself having a career where I help people, as many as I can,” said Valdez. “I know people with unsolved cases, and hopefully one day, if their case remains unsolved, I can get put on that case, too. My biggest goal is helping families find answers and have closure.”

At the end of the semester, Eddings’ students will present their findings to the APD, potentially presenting new leads for officers to pursue justice for victims and their loved ones.

“I am beyond excited as I watch my students share this passion and become fully engaged in dissecting their cases with the hope of developing potential new leads for the APD,” Eddings said.

About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.