Outreach

The Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative has conducted outreach events for various organizations across the state of West Virginia. These programs, presentations, and others like it can be delivered upon request.

Fingerprints

On the palmar surface of our hands and the plantar surface of our feet exists a special type of skin called friction ridge skin that contains an arrangement of characteristics that can be used for individual identification. The science of fingerprints has been used for more than a century for criminal and civil identification. In this class students learn how to classify, identify, and develop impressions left behind by this skin.

• Fingerprint Development Techniques, Forensic Science Saturdays, Morgantown, WV, December 2017.
• Introduction to the Science of Fingerprints, Girl Scouts, Morgantown, WV, October 2017.
• Introduction to the Science of Fingerprints, Boy Scouts of America, Morgantown, WV, October 2017.
• Introduction to the Science of Fingerprints, WVU Alumni Association, Morgantown, WV May 2017.
• Fingerprints, Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge University, Morgantown, WV, February 2017.
• Fingerprint Identification, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.

Footwear Impression Evidence

From the time we put on a pair of brand new pair of shoes and begin to walk in them, the outsoles of our footwear begin to erode and they randomly acquire characteristics such as nicks, cuts scratches, gouges, tares, and stone holds. These characteristics, along with manufactured class characteristics, can be used to identify footwear impressions left behind at a crime scene back to a particular shoe. In this class students learn how to evaluate and compare footwear impression evidence as well as document, collect, and preserve it.

• Introduction to Footwear Impression Evidence, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, June 2017.
• Forensic Footwear Impression Evidence, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.
• Footwear Impression Evidence for the Crime Scene Investigator, Forensic and Investigative Sciences Department, Morgantown, WV October 2016.
• Footwear Impression Evidence, Forensic Science Saturday’s, Morgantown, WV, November 2015
• Preparation of Footwear Exemplars, West Virginia University Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program, Morgantown, WV, February 2015.
• Footwear Impression Evidence, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, October 2014.

Forensic Firearm Identification

When firearms are manufactured two types of characteristics are imparted to them; class characteristics and individual characteristics. These characteristics are transferred to the ammunition components that come into contact with these firearms. Class characteristics are used to determine the type of firearm that was used in a crime and individual characteristics are used to determine the particular firearm that was used in a crime. In this class students learn how to measure class characteristics and to compare individual characteristics from crime scene evidence.

• Introduction to Forensic Firearm Identification, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, June 2017.
• Forensic Firearm Identification, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, December 2016.
• Forensic Firearm Identification, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.
• Introduction to Forensic Firearm Identification, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, June 2016.
• Introduction to Forensic Firearm Identification, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, June 2015.
• Forensic Firearm Identification, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, November 2014.

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

When blood exits the human body it is subjected to some type of force. This force can be anything from gravity to an impactful blow from a baseball bat or hammer. These forces will result in geometric patterns that are observable, measurable, and repeatable. In this class students will investigate a variety of mechanisms that are responsible for creating a particular bloodstain pattern.

• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Forensic Science Saturdays, Morgantown, WV, September 2017.
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, January 2017.
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.
• Introduction to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Chestnut Mountain Ranch, Morgantown, WV, June 2016.
• Introduction to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Forensic Science Saturday’s, Morgantown, WV, January 2016.
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, December 2014.

Biological Evidence

Biological evidence encompasses a wide variety of substances such as blood, semen, bone, teeth, and hair. Blood, being one of the most frequently encountered substances encountered at crime scenes deserves, considerable attention. In this class students learn how to apply and interpret a class of chemical reagents known as presumptive tests to determine whether or not a red-brown substance visually consistent with blood might actually be blood.

• Biological Evidence, Forensic Science Saturdays, Morgantown, WV, September 2017.
• Biological Evidence, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, February 2017.
• Biological Evidence, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.
• Biological Evidence, Forensic Science Saturday’s, Morgantown, WV, January 2016.

Forensic DNA

Written in the cells of our bodies are the instructions that make us physically who we are. These instructions are encoded in our DNA (deoxy ribonucleic acid). In and among these instructions are sequences of DNA that are highly variable from person to person. These sequences of DNA can be used to identify an individual from the biological material that they deposit. In this class students will learn the fundamentals of DNA, learn how to extract DNA, and how to separate it for comparative purposes.

• Forensic DNA, Forensic Science Saturday’s, Morgantown, WV, November 2017.
• Forensic DNA, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, November 2017.
• Forensic DNA, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, March 2017.
• Forensic DNA, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Morgantown, WV, October 2016.
• Forensic DNA, Forensic Science Saturday’s, Morgantown, WV, March 2016.

Crime Scene Investigation

The job of the crime scene investigator is of critical importance. These people are the link between the crime scene and the crime laboratory. The crime scene investigator has several primary tasks: evidence recognition; crime scene documentation, which involves taking digital images, making notes, and sketching the crime scene; and evidence collection and packaging. Each of these tasks is critical and requires considerable knowledge, skill, and attention to detail. In this class students learn all phases of crime scene investigation through practical, hands-on exercises.

• Crime Scene Investigation, West Virginia University Forensic Science Summer Camp, Morgantown, WV, June 2017.
• Crime Scene Investigation, Parent/Child Forensic Science Classes, Morgantown, WV, April 2017.
• Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Science Saturdays, Morgantown, WV, May 2016.

Miscellaneous

The Next Generation Forensic Science Initiative has also presented other learning opportunities as well.

• Careers in Forensic Science, South Middle School, Morgantown, WV, February 2017.
• Overview of Forensic Science, International Ambassadors Program, Morgantown, WV, June 2016.
• Careers in Forensic Science, Liberty High School, Clarksburg, WV, March 2015.
• Careers in Forensic Science, South Middle School, Morgantown, WV, February 2014.