*Content Warning: Mentions of School Shootings/Active Shooters.
Noah Andres, an undergraduate student studying Criminal Justice at Michigan State University (MSU), received a first-place award at the 2025 MSU University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)!
Andres partnered with Dr. Steve Chermak (Professor in the School of Criminal Justice) to research the effectiveness of first responder training drills on reducing casualty rates among active shooter scenarios in K-12 schools. The research analyzed open-source data over a period of four months.
Andres findings indicated that school & police drills were most effective at reducing casualty rates among active shooter scenarios and that greater interconnection among first responders and community members leads to more effective active shooter solutions.
Andres says the experience of presenting at UURAF was a positive one, "Going into UURAF, I was really nervous. I'd never participated in research before, & certainly never presented publicly. After UURAF was over, I was simply proud of myself for participating. The experience I gained under Dr. Chermak really helped me navigate the world of collegiate research & begin to understand the intersection of research & service. I didn't expect to win, but to me it proved that no matter how inexperienced someone is, all it takes is determination & a willingness to learn from others to do amazing things."
Dr. Chermak, Andres' research mentor, says “Noah produced an extraordinary research project. He came to me interested in getting research experience but wanting to study a difficult topic—school violence. The PURI award allowed him to dig deeply into the subject matter and complete a project examining how different types of response impact outcomes. His dedication and effort to the project not only met expectations, but it also really set a high standard for excellence. His presentation was a testament to his commitment to conducting good research.”
Andres was presented with his award and a $100 monetary bonus at the UURAF Awards Ceremony on Monday April 21st.