Forensic hair analysis has developed a bad reputation. The technique has relied on traits such as color, thickness, and curvature to link a suspect to a crime scene. But an ongoing reanalysis of old cases by the U.S. Justice Department found that analysts have often overstated their case in the courtroom; several people convicted based on a hair sample were later found to be innocent.
The new Ph.D. program was approved last month and will launch in the fall. At that time, WVU will become the nation’s first university to offer undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in forensic science.
The WVU Department of Forensic and Investigative Science has taken the lead in forensic
science education once again by developing a new Ph.D. program which was approved
last week by the West Virginia University Board of Governors.
