by Kevin Parmelee, Professor of Practice, Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology
There’s no use in denying it—over the years, true-crime shows, movies, and podcasts have become massively popular with millions of people who enjoy following real-life stories and the intricacies of the criminal justice system. Cinematic depictions of forensic science technicians collecting evidence at the crime scene, analyzing laboratory results, and testifying in court all shine a spotlight on the everyday professionals helping deliver accurate and swift justice.
Evidently, this attention has had a real impact on the field of forensics: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is projected to grow 13 percent from 2022 to 2032. While a gender gap widely exists among STEM professions, a notable 56.9% of forensic scientists are women.
With a new generation of students inspired to become forensic scientists, it is critical to ensure they can pursue educational pathways that promote strong scientific knowledge, clear ethical practices, and familiarity with advanced technologies.
Introducing more students to the field of forensic science can start at the high-school level and within local communities. Setting up classroom opportunities to conduct lab work and crime scene analysis taps into the field’s broad appeal, opening new career possibilities at an earlier age and especially for those from traditionally underrepresented groups. Pre-college programs like New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Forensic Science Initiative (FSI) help high schoolers participate directly in forensics work, receive course credits, and bolster a reliable local pipeline of eager learners.
Others are introduced to the exciting profession of forensics sciences later in their lives—60% of forensic science technicians hold an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree, which are often in biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics. Additionally, specialized programs accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) can offer a high-quality forensics education that has passed a rigorous review by an independent panel of experts in the field and built around students receiving a deeper level of engagement.
For example, at NJIT’s FEPAC-accredited B.S. Forensic Science program, students are not only trained to master core coursework, but they also develop working knowledge on how to apply the latest methods and tools in the field. Students and professionals benefit from understanding how emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality can be used to advance crime scene investigation methods and improve law enforcement procedures.
One such application of mixed reality tech is ForensicXR, which allows students to experience an expansive range of forensics scenarios in an immersive, interactive simulation that’s designed around ease of use and comfort. Crucially, multiple students and instructors can access the same crime scenes simultaneously to practice collaborative casework and get feedback in real time. In all, it adds a new dimension to forensics classes, casting aside many practical constraints and inviting students to consider and address a wide breadth of crime scene possibilities they might well confront during professional practice.
When possible, hands-on field experience offers a valuable way for students to build practical knowledge with exciting technologies and expose them to more real-world experience. Recently, our team of professors and students helped exonerate two men wrongfully imprisoned for murder. We used a Faro 3D scanner, a 3D laser imaging device increasingly employed by crime scene investigators, to reconstruct a crime scene from nearly three decades ago in order to provide accurate bullet trajectory analysis and 3D renderings of the scene.
Students respond extremely positively to these kinds of opportunities to be part of a team that’s making a real impact—it’s the combination of classroom study and field work that’s key to developing knowledgeable, motivated forensics professionals.
Given the bright outlook for forensics science education across the country, it’s equally important for the federal and state policy to foster robust standards and infrastructure for the professional community.
Unfortunately, the National Commission on Forensic Science, which was overseen by the U.S. Attorney General, saw its charter expire in 2017. Until the Commission is re-established or a similar federal entity exists, state-level bodies play a larger role in establishing and ensuring oversight of standards and accreditation for their state’s forensic laboratories. To that end, New York and Texas stand out as two states with robust standards for statewide forensics practice and laboratory accreditation, providing a model for other states to establish a similar support structure for their slate of young professionals.
As a professor of practice at NJIT, I know that the next generation of forensic science students is eager to learn, and higher education institutions and professional organizations alike are committed to training these future professionals. Thanks to technological advancements, innovative teaching, and a growing sense of professional community, the field of forensic science has a promising future in New Jersey and nationwide.
About the author: Kevin Parmelee is a retired detective for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and a forensics science expert with over 23 years of law enforcement experience that include a variety of policing duties, but a primary focus on crime scene investigation, shooting reconstruction, arson investigation, footwear analysis, forensic photography, and latent print analysis. He is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and served as president of the New Jersey State Division of the International Association for Identification (IAI). He currently teaches as a professor of practice at NJIT.