This summer, the West Virginia University Forensic Science Academy for Professionals hosted continuing education and training on campus for forensic practitioners and law enforcement personnel. Craig Moore of See Moore Forensics traveled from Ontario, Canada to share his expertise conducting a 40 hour Basic Bloodstain Pattern Recognition course. Experiments were conducted at the WVU crime scene complex that illustrated the predictable and reproducible behaviors of blood when subjected to various forces. Students represented local police agencies, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office Crime Laboratory, and the country of Belize. WVU FSAP is honored to....
Today
, 108 new first year students were welcomed to the Department of Forensic and Investigative
Science. After faculty introductions, Dr. Rachel Mohr engaged the students in
a forensic science exercise that encouraged them to use their critical thinking
skills. Students asked a series of objective questions to determine the identity
of an unknown object that was hidden inside of a box. This exercise highlighted
the importance of teamwork, scientific analysis, listening, and risk-taking.
Students left this event excited for a new school year to begin.
The J. Edgar Hoover Foundation has awarded a scholarship to West Virginia University to establish The J. Edgar Hoover Foundation Leadership Scholarship for students enrolled in the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. This first-of-its-kind philanthropic gift from the Hoover Foundation will provide scholarships for four qualified students in the 2016-2017 academic year.
Three WVU undergraduates have been selected for summer research fellowships with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Sydney Brooks, a double major in FIS and chemistry, is among this elite group.
Publication is one of the most important aspects of research, sharing the
knowledge found by your institution. However, forensic chemistry researchers
have had difficulty publishing due to the technical nature of their work.
Glen P. Jackson, Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor of Forensic and Investigative
Science at
West Virginia University, has changed that.
The WVU Forensic and Investigative Science Club held officer elections on Wednesday April 6, 2016. A great turnout of our members elected the following students for the upcoming 2016-2017 year.
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.
