MURDER MYSTERIES AND DNA PART OF NEW USC CHEMISTRY DEGREE
Pueblo, Colo. -- Students at the University of Southern Colorado can soon
learn skills seen on popular TV shows such as CSI and Crossing Jordan including
testing for fingerprints, DNA and other evidence used to solve crimes. The USC
Chemistry Department, in conjunction with James B. Crippin of the Western
Forensic Law Enforcement Training Center, is initiating a new Forensic Science
emphasis in the Chemistry Bachelor of Science Degree program. The new emphasis
area has been developed with the expectation that it will become a full degree
in two years.
Crippin has specialized training in explosives, arson,
weapons of mass destruction as well as crime scene response and many years of
experience with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a Forensic Chemist
and Criminal Investigator. The program will provide a solid background in the
chemical and biological sciences as well as criminalistics, forensic and trace
analyses, and topics on specific treatment of evidence.
The new program will be initiated this fall with a special
topics course titled "Introduction to Forensic Science." This course
will introduce students to the crime scene and methods for the analysis of
physical, chemical and biological evidence. Other topics that will be covered
include DNA, fingerprints, firearms and tool marks, drugs, arson and explosives,
and forensic toxicology.
Dr. David Lemphul, assistant chemistry professor, said the
course was a response to significant student interest in the field and the
increased availability of jobs in crime labs, state bureau of investigations,
and the FBI.
"The new forensic science emphasis area offered
through the chemistry program will meet the needs of these students and prepare
them for work in a crime lab as a forensic scientist. Students will also be well
prepared to enter into a graduate school in forensic science or chemistry,"
said Lemphul. He said more advanced courses will be introduced over the next two
years dealing with topics such as crime scene processing, expert witness
testimony, and trace analysis.
Further information about the course or the new program
can be obtained by calling Dr. Linda Wilkes at (719) 549-2560 or Lehmpul at
(719) 549-2911 in the USC Chemistry Department.
The University of Southern Colorado is a regional,
comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented and applied
programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging
in service and outreach, USC is distinguished by access, opportunity and the
overall quality of services provided to its students.
