Forensic science has recently been thrust into the public eye through media exposure. New technologies have enabled cold cases to be revisited and solved. Past convictions have been re-examined and innocent people have been released based on new forensic techniques. This has led to an increased demand for the use of forensic science and for qualified forensic scientists.
The University of New Haven's program was not founded as a result of media exposure, but has been educating forensic scientists since its inception in 1975 by the internationally famous Dr. Henry C. Lee. We offer both an undergraduate (B.S.) and graduate (M.S.) degree program in forensic science. Today, our graduates can be found advancing the field in crime laboratories around the world.
To keep abreast with today's advances, we constantly review and update our curriculum. The B.S. program is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). Our objective is to provide the best education available for individuals planning scientific careers as physical evidence examiners and to meet the needs of crime laboratory scientists who wish to stay current with the fast-moving developments in their field.
One of the hallmarks of our program is our faculty. All of our full-time faculty members worked actively in their forensic specialties before coming to the University of New Haven. Thus, they bring to students a real understanding of the intricacies that make their profession unique. But they have not left the field behind them. They continue to be actively involved through memberships in forensic professional associations and by analyzing and consulting on cases, some as close as today's headlines.
As our curriculum is targeted at training forensic scientists, it is heavy in the natural sciences. The undergraduate program offers the ability to double-major in a science, and many of our students have elected to do so, receiving a B.S. in forensic science and a B.S. in chemistry or biology upon graduation. The graduate program offers two concentrations: criminalistics for the crime laboratory analyst, and advanced investigation for investigators wishing to have a strong background in forensic science.
Both the undergraduate and graduate programs place students in experiential learning. Students are involved in the real world of forensic science through internships in laboratories around the world or through scientific research targeting pressing questions. In addition, many of our graduate students volunteer their time, through a program sponsored by the
Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science, to help agencies solve their cold cases. Thus, when our graduates step into their first laboratory or pursue an advanced degree, they have actual experience to smooth the transition.
Department Faculty
Heather G. Coyle
Assistant Professor
Azriel Gorski
Associate Professor
Coordinator, Undergraduate Forensic Sciences
Howard Harris
Professor
Henry C. Lee
Professor
Program Founder
Peter B. Massey
Lecturer
Coordinator, Henry C. Lee Institute Training
Virginia Maxwell
Associate Professor
Coordinator, Graduate Forensic Sciences
Timothy Palmbach
Associate Professor
Chair
Fred Smith
Professor
Michael Adamowicz
Associate Professor
