From the Herald-Dispatch
Marshall University Forensic Science Graduate Program student projects were showcased at its Research Day event Friday at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center.
The event provided students with an opportunity to showcase their research and skills they completed and obtained while participating interships in federal, state and local forensic crime laboratories across the country.
The internships included projects involving DNA analysis, firearms and toolmarks, latent prints, digital forensics, forensic chemistry and crime scene investigation.
The students are assigned internships to perform validations, conduct research and perform comparison studies on methodologies in various forensic disciplines. Students receive real-world instruction prior to working in the crime labs.
Attendees included individuals from various crime labs in the area including the Huntington Police Department, West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory, Kentucky State Police Eastern Regional Forensic Laboratory and Marshall’s Forensic Science Center.
Pam Staton, Program Coordinator, said collaborative efforts between academics and practitioners benefit students in the program and crime labs across the nation in many ways.
“The internship program provides crime laboratories with a steady stream of competent interns carrying out research projects that serve to move the profession forward,” she said. “At the same time, Marshall’s students gain exposure to the working world of forensic science, allowing them to make informed employment decisions and hit the ground running as new employee.”