LU Political Science Students Take Research to Statewide Science Conference

A Lincoln University of Missouri political science student brought original undergraduate research to a statewide audience this month, presenting findings on sexual assault forensic evidence kit backlogs at the Missouri Academy of Science annual conference on April 11 in Springfield.

Senior Max McCarthy joined Elizabeth Dorssom, assistant professor of political science and coordinator of the Master of Arts in Community and Economic Development program, to present their study, "Jurisdiction Size and Resource Allocation: Eliminating the SAFE Kit Backlog," before an audience of faculty, researchers and students from across Missouri. The conference was hosted by Missouri State University.

The research, which grew out of Dorssom's Fall 2025 Research Methods course, examines how the size of law enforcement jurisdictions affects the accumulation of untested Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence kits. Analyzing public records from five states - Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, Oregon and Washington - the study found that larger jurisdictions and larger police departments tend to carry greater backlogs, even when more resources are available. The findings point to organizational priorities and administrative burdens, not just case volume, as factors shaping testing rates.

"This work contributes to important conversations around policy design, equitable resource distribution and advancing justice for survivors," Dorssom said. "Although SAFE kit testing is in much better condition now than it has been, research like this helps to prevent us from reaching that point again."

Also representing Lincoln University at the conference was Callianne Nilges, a senior psychology major, who presented independent research on the genomic and epigenetic basis for inheritance of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

The Missouri Academy of Science hosts an annual conference at participating institutions statewide, providing undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and independent scholars with an opportunity to present original research and engage with the broader scientific community.