About Us

The Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative provides outreach opportunities in the field of forensic science to the citizens and educators of West Virginia.

Through programs such as Forensic Science Saturdays, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, OLLI Classes, and WVU Forensic Science Summer Camps, the crime scene and the crime lab are brought to the classroom. Workshops for high school teachers provide the education, training, and resources to teach forensic science in their classrooms. Through hands-on activities, participants in all programs learn how to conduct the practices and procedures that are used to investigate crime scenes and to analyze evidence in crime laboratories.

One unique aspect of the Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative is our participation in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Scout Jamboree held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, located near Glen Jean, West Virginia. The National Jamboree is held every four years beginning with the inaugural Jamboree 2013. Our work with the BSA extends to offering the fingerprint merit badge annually at WVU’s Merit Badge University and offering special programs for Scout troops. We have also held similar programs for the Girl Scouts of America.

Roger Jefferys is the Instructional Coordinator for the Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative. He started overseeing the program in August 2019.

For more information on West Virginia University forensic science programs, please visit West Virginia University Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences.