ARKANSAS STATE CRIME LABORATORY RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL HONOR

May 29, 2026

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) has been recognized as a recipient of the prestigious Foresight Maximus Award, an international honor presented to top-performing forensic laboratories operating at 90% or better of peak efficiency during the reporting year.

Presented during the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) Annual Symposium held May 17 – 21, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the award recognizes laboratories that demonstrate exceptional operational performance, efficiency, financial stewardship, and scientific excellence through participation in the global Project Foresight program.

ASCL was one of only 15 laboratories out of 184 participating laboratories worldwide receiving the award for the 2024–2025 reporting cycle.

“This recognition reflects the dedication, expertise, and heart our team brings to serving Arkansans and setting the standard for exceptional forensic science, earning us a place among the world’s top-performing laboratories,” said ASCL Director Dr. Theodore Brown.  “Our team’s unwavering commitment has positioned us within this elite group honored with the prestigious Foresight Maximus Award.”

Project Foresight, originally launched in Fiscal Year 2009 through a cooperative agreement between the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University and the National Institute of Justice, serves as a business-guided self-evaluation program for forensic science laboratories across the globe. Participating laboratories include metro, regional, state, national, and international agencies.

The program uses standardized metrics to evaluate laboratory work processes by linking casework, personnel allocation, and financial information to laboratory functions and tasks. Through detailed analysis conducted by faculty from West Virginia University, laboratories are able to assess resource allocation, operational efficiency, and the overall value of services provided to the criminal justice system.

Project Foresight was developed with the mission to “measure, preserve what works, and change what does not,” helping forensic laboratories improve operational effectiveness while maintaining high scientific standards. Over the years, the program has expanded internationally and has contributed to numerous forensic laboratory efficiency improvements and professional publications throughout the field.