The College of Business and Economics has established a name for itself when it comes to management consulting for forensic organizations, and that was never more evident than when the U.S. Government recently asked B&E for help — in Egypt.

“The Department of Justice has an interest in legal reforms in Egypt, especially in the area of forensic sciences,” said Dr. David Dawley, director of B&E’s Robbins Center for Global Business and Strategy and an associate professor of management. “Our Center for Executive Education is known for its expertise in consulting about forensic management through its Forensic Management Academy, so this partnership really made sense.”

As a result of the request by DOJ, Dawley traveled in early August with a group of U.S. officials to help the director of the Egyptian Forensic Medicine Authority (EFMA) with strategic planning. He worked through the U.S. Embassy in Cairo’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and presented a plan to the Egyptian Minister of Justice and the FMA director.

Martina Bison-Huckaby, director of B&E’s Center for Executive Education, said the project in Egypt came about thanks to the reputation of the Forensic Management Academy, a one-of-a-kind program in management and leadership that has been offered by the center for more than 10 years to hundreds of forensic professionals from different agencies in the United States and abroad. While at the American Society of Crime Lab Directors conference last year, Bison-Huckaby was approached about partnering with the DOJ “for international projects related to training forensic professionals in management and leadership in areas of the world that were identified as critical to the United States.” She was excited about the opportunity.

“As I found out what the project in Egypt entailed, I immediately thought of Dr. Dawley, who has expertise in strategy and former experience in teaching and consulting forensic professionals on strategic planning, trust, motivation and retention issues, as well as a global focus. It is great to have such a resource within the College of Business and Economics and he really was the perfect fit for this project,” Bison-Huckaby said.

And the story gets better. B&E got affirmation of the quality of its Forensic Management Academy when its DOJ contact recently shared that his colleague had attended the academy. She said it was the best training she ever had, and that recommendation may have helped lay the foundation for a new partnership with Egypt.

“We were very well received, and we were awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the Egyptian government and given the Official Ministry of Justice Shield from the Egyptian Minister of Justice,” Dawley said. “The DOJ is also pleased with the strategic plan we presented; this is all very important, in that the plan helps Egypt manage its forensic resources because the stability of Egypt’s forensic science community is important to U.S. interests in the Middle East.”

Dawley has been invited back to Egypt for multiple visits to refine and implement the strategic plan.