Forensic & Investigative Science Program
Facilities & Equipment
The Forensic and Investigative Sciences program at WVU has an extremely well equipped facility. The Crime Scene Training Complex consists of three crime scene houses and a forensic vehicle processing facility. During the summer of 2007 the Program relocated its offices into Oglebay Hall on the Downtown campus. This facility added 18,000 square feet of laboratories, classrooms, and office space to the program. We also have access to a fire-training facilities and a large shooting range with indoor and outdoor ranges.
The crime scene houses are used to prepare mock crime scenes which allow students to learn crime scene processing techniques in a controlled environment. Students in the examiner track make use of the crime scene houses for four semesters. The scenes are processed as if they wer actual scenes. Whatever is necessary to collect the evidence is performed. During one scene students need to remove the flooring to recover bullets for subsequent analysis.
A grant from the Snee Foundation allowed the Program to install a video camera system in the Crime Scene Training Complex. Faculty and instructors can monitor student’s actions and techniques whilst they are processing the crime scene.
During a recent renovation project to the Complex a number of sand beds were constructed for the collection of shoe print evidence, as well as two 20’ x 10’ grave sites. The first human remains recovery took place during fall 2007.
