Marshall ranked #1 in forensic science
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Dr. Terry Fenger who is the director of Marshall's forensic science program. |
July 28, 2009 ·
Marshall University officials hope being ranked the top forensic science graduate program in the country will help them expand the program.
Marshall’s program recently received the highest overall scores on tests by the American Board of Criminalistics.
Terry Fenger, director of Marshall’s forensic science program, says the ranking shows that graduates are “excellent candidates for jobs.” There are nearly 30 students in the program.
Fenger hopes the ranking will help Marshall upgrade facilities, such as the addition of a new three story wing to their complex.
“We’re all going to be in one location, which will help with the academic program and help recruit,” Fenger said.
Professor Jason Chute graduated from the same program in 2000, then worked for the West Virginia State Police for five years before returning the Marshall to teach.
The Marshall forensic science program was competing against schools such as Penn State and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Chute says the program has come a long way since its beginning in 1995 and since his graduation in 2000.
“Now our students are going into a lab and using state-of-the-art equipment that when they go out there in the field, some of the laboratories may not even be using that equipment yet,” Chute said.