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Jumping Beyond the Course’s Conclusions
One of the culminating activities of the year for Forensic Science students
is the third quarter trip to Arcadia University. There, a crime scene house
that is typically used for the university’s forensic science master’s program
is set up for Archbishop Wood students to explore — and solve.
“There’s a dead body, which is a fake body, and graduate students ask our
class to figure out what happened and process the evidence,” Hartranft
explains. “The kids remember what we’ve done in the lab. They go absolutely
nuts over it.”
“There’s this initial hesitation among the students that wears off quickly,”
adds Waskie. “One group of students expressed how invasive the investigation
of a living room feels, but soon they were looking through books, removing
couch cushions, and digging through pockets. They really thrived.”
With so much enthusiasm for practically applied science, it’s no surprise
that many of Hartranft’s and Waskie’s students go on to pursue degrees in
forensic science, criminology, and other related areas of study.
“I have one student who is majoring in Digital Forensics at Bloomsburg,”
Hartranft says. “Another student is a sophomore in La Salle University’s
Criminology program, who recently emailed me about an internship he has taken
on at a prison. And many current seniors are considering pursuing either
Forensic Serology or Forensic Entomology. This is why we became teachers in
the first place!”
finally
, the e
xpo!
The enthusiasm for forensics is clear among the course’s students. While the
class’s popularity is one measure of success, its post-school year survey
presents its own evidence: The most popular complaint Hartranft and Waskie
receive is that there is no Forensic Science II.
The Many Facets of Forensics
There’s much more to forensics than TV would lead students to
believe. Here are some of the investigative disciplines they
learn to apply to the scene of a crime.
Toxicology
Identifying chemical substances to Fiber
Analysis
Natural and man-made fibers can link victims
Entomology
Insect biology and behavior can reveal Fingerprinting
Identifying and eliminating victims and
Glass
Analysis
Understanding how various impacts cause Bullet
Trajectory
Calculating when and where projectiles were
Blood
Splatter
Blood patterns can reveal when, how, and And
more…
Students also learn about DNA analysis,
understand their potential role in a crime.
approximately when a death occurred.
different types of glass to shatter.
where a victim was injured.
to suspects, locations, and more.
suspects, and their possible interactions.
fired to reconstruct a timeline of events.
ultraviolet sweeping, and other techniques.
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