High School Students Tackle Evidence Collection and Analysis at Forensics Workshop

High schoolers will get the opportunity to see firsthand how professional scientists and law enforcement officials deal with everything from hair and fiber analysis to toxicology reports at the upcoming Forensic Science and Law Summer Workshop.

Duquesne will welcome 23 high school students to participate in next month’s workshop, which will be held on campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 10, through Thursday, July 13.

This selective, four-day program is structured just like an authentic case, beginning with a mock crime scene and ending with a mock trial. The workshop is comprised of lectures and labs with scientists and law enforcement professionals discussing topics such as hair and fiber analysis, DNA fingerprinting and toxicology.

Lyndsie Ferrara, faculty advisor and instructor of forensic science and law, says the workshop gives high school students an engaging understanding of the role that forensic science plays in the criminal justice system.

“This is really important because in the media, forensic science is very crime-scene-investigation focused—we lose all the science,” Ferrara explained. “If this is the area they really want to study, we need to show students that forensics is also a true science program.”

The workshop is sponsored by Duquesne’s chapter of the Phi Sigma Lambda forensic science and law fraternity. Volunteer undergraduate and graduate students within the forensic science and law program will facilitate and supervise the workshop.

For more information, visit www.duq.edu/events/forensic-science-and-law-summer-workshop.