This semester, there were two night crime scenes: one for Dr. Keith Morris’ bloodstain
class and the other for Professor Robert O’Brien’s crime scene I class. On Thursday,
April 13th, Professor O’Brien’s crime scene I class was called to the scene of
an assault at 4 am. Sophomore Jennifer Ho comments on the experience saying, “being
called out to the scene at 4 am allows us to not only get the academic portion
of the material but the practical experience as well.”
During recent years, though, problems with some aspects of forensic science have
come to light. Examples include false convictions based on
faulty fire scene and burn pattern analysis and on
bite mark analysis, incorrect fingerprint identification and instances
of
misconduct in forensic labs. Recognizing these shortcoming has led to various
efforts to propel forensic science forward, helping us recognize which parts
of it are scientifically valid, which parts aren’t and where more research must
be done.
“Who you are, where you’ve been, what you eat, what drugs you take — it all shows
up in your hair,” says Glen P. Jackson, Ph.D. “Depending on the question being
asked, the chemical analysis of human hair can provide amazing insights into the
life and lifestyle of a person.”
The two-day event consisted of tours of departmental
facilities on the downtown and Evansdale campuses as well as opportunities to
meet with Forensic & Investigative Science faculty and graduate students.
Dr. Liu’s fellowship is associated with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at
the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and thus he visited with Associate
Professor of Law Valena Beety, Director of the WVU Innocence Project.
There’s no one way to analyze gunshot residue, but in the last seven years of her 34-year-career as a chemist and forensic scientist, Suzanne Bell, a commissioner for the National Commission on Forensic Science, has been working to develop new methodologies that focus on organic residues.
Ms. Kelli Sullivan, a junior in the FIS program, was chosen
by the faculty as having the best forensic photography presentation in
Professor Ken Bauer’s forensic photography course.
In West Virginia University’s Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, much of that hands-on experience comes from assisting faculty with active research. Thanks to the newly developed Ph.D. program, students are able to be trained in undergraduate and stay to continue long term research.
With dreams of becoming a Supreme Court justice, the West Virginia University junior aspires to be the kind of attorney who understands the science behind the evidence.
Ms. Ayers and Mr. Law met with the Director of Jordan’s state-of-the-art ISO/IEC 17025 accredited forensic laboratory as well as the administration of the Criminal Investigation Division to learn about policy, procedure, and scientific capabilities in Jordan. Thereafter, they were able to develop a more personalized training program to meet the needs of the attendees. Participants expressed their gratitude and stated that the course added immense value to their work. “Working with an Arabic speaking audience proved to be a challenging, yet rewarding experience,” Ms. Ayers stated. “I look forward to bringing a cohort of Jordanians to West Virginia University....
WVU graduate student, Ms. Korina Menking-Hoggatt, summarized
the seminar on behalf of her colleagues: “The conference was a wonderful
experience. I enjoyed hearing forensic practitioners talk about cutting edge
forensic science and realizing my education at WVU is preparing me to be an
excellent practitioner.”
