OpenFieldEastern Kentucky University (EKU) is a regional comprehensive university in Richmond, Kentucky, internationally recognized for its College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science, aviation flight training, forensic science, and nursing.
EKU operates world-class fire safety and combustion testing facilities, an FAA-certified collegiate flight training fleet, accredited forensic chemistry laboratories, and rural nursing clinics. It is known nationwide as the premier institution for emergency services and Homeland Security education, preparing professionals who safeguard national infrastructure.
Admissions require a high school diploma with minimum 2.50 GPA; EKU is test-optional. Forensic science, professional aviation flight, and nursing have secondary competitive admission requirements.
World-renowned forensic fire engineering degree utilizing full-scale burn test buildings to investigate fire dynamics, electrical failure origins, and explosive residue analysis.
FEPAC-accredited laboratory science curriculum in instrumental toxicology, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, drug analysis, and courtroom expert witness testimony.
FAA Part 141-approved collegiate flight training program providing commercial pilot certification, multi-engine ratings, turbine aerodynamics, and airline dispatcher licensing.
Nationally acclaimed online master’s program in corporate risk mitigation, disaster response planning, occupational health safety, and homeland security intelligence.
Four-year undergraduate scholarship recognizing outstanding academic achievement for incoming freshmen entering science, technology, or mathematics majors.
CCNE-accredited professional nursing curriculum featuring hospital simulation labs and rural clinical rotations throughout the Appalachian foothills.
Professor of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology · Department of Fire Protection and Paramedicine Sciences
Dr. Corey D. Farris conducts experimental research on compartment fire behavior and accelerant detection, training federal investigators in forensic origin-and-cause analysis.
View research profile ↗Associate Professor of Forensic Science and Analytical Chemistry · Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science
Dr. Cynthia C. Kaeser develops chromatographic separation techniques for novel synthetic psychoactive substances, publishing on high-resolution mass spectrometry standards in forensics.
View research profile ↗Professor of Criminal Justice and Crime Mapping Analytics · School of Justice Studies
Dr. Derek R. Paulsen pioneers spatial crime analysis and predictive intelligence mapping, advising urban police departments and federal agencies on spatial data analytics.
View research profile ↗University profile compiled from official Eastern Kentucky University academic bulletins and institutional directories reviewed on 2026-10-16. OpenField is an independent research guide.