The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is developing a new forensic science program, and according to Peter Killoran, a sociology professor and the first faculty member hired for the program at the college, the program is growing quickly.
“We have been able to fill two sections this semester and we are developing three or four classes in different departments,” Killoran said. “Right now we have about 60 students and we expect that to grow.”
Part of the reason for the growing interest in forensic science among students might come from popular television shows about forensic scientists like “Cold Case Files” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Mallory Evans, a UW sophomore planning to get a certificate in criminal justice, said shows like these might draw more people to the program.
“[These shows] show new aspects of criminal justice that might attract more people to the field,” Evans said.
Killoran agreed televisions shows have contributed to student interest but said they often misrepresent what working in forensic science is really like.
“I think the portrayals [of forensic science] are very inaccurate,” Killoran said. “A lot of the science [on the shows] exists, but it wouldn’t be as quick and individual people aren’t trained to do all the things the characters on the shows do.”
These shows also, according to Killoran, only show a small part of the large field of forensic science, which is not limited to criminal investigations. He said he hopes the new UW-Whitewater program will help “expand the view of the crime scene investigator shown on TV.”
Killoran said one of the many benefits of a background in forensic science is an increase in employment opportunities.
“There is always room for additional people in the field,” Killoran said, adding some laboratories must currently “outcontract” work to other independent offices because their staffs are not trained in forensic science.
Killoran said a background in forensic science would also be useful for people in the field of criminal justice.
“Right now there does seem to be a growing number of people interested in policing,” Killoran said, adding forensic science classes would result in “better trained policemen.”
Though she said she would not be interested in taking classes about forensic science, Evans saw the benefit of people working in the criminal justice field learning about the science behind criminal investigations.
“If police officers know more about forensic science, they will know what to look for and what forensic scientists need to solve the case,” Evans said.
Neal Englert, a UW senior majoring in biology, said it might be easier to find a job with a background in forensic science.
“A lab job would probably be more readily available if it was looking for someone that had a lot of forensic knowledge,” Englert said, adding he had personal interest in the field. “Forensic science is a great field,” Englert said. “It has all sorts of interesting aspects to it: solving crime, biology, law and now DNA evidence is being used in courts all over the country.”
