Washburn University Celebrates National Forensic Science Week with Panel Sept. 16
Topeka, Kan. – Washburn University in partnership with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is celebrating National Forensic Science Week with a panel discussion 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the Kansas Room in Memorial Union.
Students can investigate their opportunities for disciplines, employment and internships in a roundtable discussion with KBI scientists and other experts. Agencies represented include:
- KBI Forensic Science Center
- Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office
- Johnson County Crime Lab
- Forensic Medical of Topeka
- Topeka Police Department
“National Forensic Science Week is a fun way for all the forensic science disciplines at Washburn University to highlight our programs and give students an opportunity to explore areas they might be interested in,” said Kimberly Gerhardt-Whiddon, criminal justice lecturer, Washburn University. “Forensic science encompasses anthropology, biology, chemistry, computer science and forensic investigation. These are diverse and distinct areas that all have one thing in common – they use advanced knowledge and tools to ensure justice is served.”
National Forensic Science Week is organized and promoted by the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO), an association of forensic science professional organizations. The mission of the CFSO is to speak with a single forensic science voice in matters of mutual interest to its member organizations, to influence public policy at the national level and to make a compelling case for greater federal funding for public crime laboratories and medical examiner offices. National Forensic Science Week always falls on the third full week of September.
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To meet the needs of the disciplines and innovation, the KBI forensic science lab opened on the Washburn University campus in November of 2015, housing the crime lab on one side of the building and Washburn University classrooms and labs on the other. Washburn University is one of only three institutions in the United States where someone can earn a bachelor of science with a forensic concentration and have the opportunity for forensic casework experience as an undergraduate.
