The Center for Forensic Studies at Texas Tech University was established in 1982 with the aim of promoting innovation in physical evidence examination, with emphasis on interaction with the industrial community in development of new technology and instrumentation as well as the law enforcement community in technology transfer.
The center's mission is three-fold. First, research is conducted on new methods of
evidence examination. An example is photoluminescence detection of latent
fingerprints. This methodology is now in world-wide use. Several companies
have engineered fingerprint detection systems for law enforcement use. Current work includes trace explosives detection and nerve agent sensing.
Second, the center conducts workshops for law enforcement personnel to
promote transfer of developed methodology to the criminalistics community.
This is a crucial center function. Research, no matter how innovative,
is of little consequence in the absence of end-user training. The Center
for Forensic Studies presently is the only establishment in the U.
S. that offers an in-depth, hands-on workshop on laser applications in
criminalistics. The workshop focuses on fingerprints, but emphasizes other areas as well, including explosives. It is flexible, tailored to participant needs.The workshop is supplemented by a set of video cassettes
on fingerprints, produced by the center to reach a larger audience than can
be served by workshops. Third, the center conducts
case examinations on behalf of law enforcement agencies. This activity
is aimed at smaller agencies that cannot afford the expensive instrumentation
needed for some evidence examinations.
Occasionally, the Center hosts visiting forensic scientists for extended periods, with visitor support by the home agency.
Since a degree
program is not in place at Texas Tech at this time, students involved in Center research in criminalistics obtain their advanced degrees in departments such as Chemistry, Physics and Electrical Engineering. Roughly a dozen graduate students have been processed this way. A number of undergraduate
and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, have participated
in the Center's activity in less formal ways.
An interdisciplinary forensic science minor began operation at Texas Tech University in Fall 2003. The Center participates in this minor by contributing laboratory facilities to forensic science courses taught by the Physics Department. The Center is an entity separate from the Texas Tech Institute of Forensic Sciences .
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