Ashland University students studying forensic accounting and criminal justice participated in the Internal Revenue Service’s Adrian Project held on the Ashland University campus Oct. 27.
The Adrian Project is an interactive criminal investigation program that allows students to work with IRS Special Agents to solve hypothetical financial crimes in areas including drug trafficking, money laundering and income tax fraud.
“Students worked as Special Agents in the field by interviewing witnesses, setting up surveillances, analyzing tax documents, executing search warrants and various other activities to, in the end, handcuffing and arresting criminals,” said Craig Casserly, public information officer for the IRS in Columbus.
“The all-day simulation served to provide participants with real experiences in their chosen field of study” said Dr. Victoria Kaskey, assistant professor of accounting at Ashland University. “In addition, recruiters were on hand to view the students’ progress and possibly hire them as Special Agents.”
Michael Barrett, assistant professor of criminal justice, worked with Kaskey to promote Ashland as the host for this event.
“Anytime you can provide your students with hands-on experience with an agency so they can put what they learned into action, it is a positive thing,” Barrett said. “We typically do this via internships, but a program such as the Adrian Project can be even more valuable because it exposes many more students to the agency. Plus, it shows the agency is connected with the Ashland community and is enthusiastic about recruiting our students.”
See news coverage from Ashland Times-Gazette and Mansfield News Journal.
