Department of Forensic Science

Department News
Laurentian University Department of Forensic Science is Canada's Only FEPAC Accredited Forensic Program!
Laurentian University to Offer Canada’s First Accredited Forensic Degrees
Sudbury (Ontario). Laurentian University is pleased to announce that the Department of Forensic Science is the first in Canada to be granted full accreditation of its Forensic Science degrees through the American Academy of Forensic Sciences’ (AAFS) Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). Within the past year, the Department of Forensic Science successfully petitioned FEPAC to consider forensic programs outside of the United States. After a lengthy process, the FEPAC voted in favour of accrediting two of the Department of Forensic Science’s degrees: the Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science, and the Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science and Chemistry. FEPAC is a standing committee of the AAFS with a membership that includes five educators, five forensic laboratory directors, and a public member as voting members. The mission of the FEPAC is to maintain and enhance the quality of forensic science education through a formal evaluation and recognition of college level academic programs. The primary function of the committee is to develop and maintain standards and administer an accreditation program that recognizes and distinguishes high quality undergraduate and graduate forensic science programs. Twenty-five academic program have undergone the accreditation process since 2003. Of these, only 13 are accredited at the undergraduate level. Prior to Laurentian University, accreditation was only done for U.S. institutions. Upon receiving the news, the founding Chair of the Department of Forensic Science stated that, “This is a significant step forward in forensic science education in Canada. With the dramatic increase in the number of forensic science programs in the United States and Canada, it has become increasingly important to measure the quality of these programs. FEPAC accreditation is the ‘gold standard’ in the United States by which to judge forensic science degrees. For the first time, this standard is being applied in Canada. Canadian students now have the choice of being able to pursue a FEPAC accredited Forensic Science degree within Canada.”
For further information, please contact: Dr. Scott I. Fairgrieve, Founding Chair Department of Forensic Science Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 4209 FAX: 705-671-6619 Email: sfairgrieve@laurentian.ca FEPAC web address: http://www.aafs.org/
Department of Forensic Science welcomes two NEW adjunct professors
The Department of Forensic Science is pleased to welcome Ms. Laura Gorczynski and Mr. Christopher House as adjunct professors. Both Ms. Gorczynski and Mr. House are Forensic Toxicologists in Toronto.
Department of Forensic Science faculty member receives Canada Foundation for Innovation grant for a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer	Dr. Scott Fairgrieve publishes book on forensic cremation
The Canada Foundation for Innovation recently announced the results of June 2007 funding competition. Department of Forensic Science faculty member Dr. James Watterson was awarded a grant through the Leader's Opportunity Fund towards the acquisition of a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer for use in his research on toxin disposition in skeletal tissues.	Sudbury (Ontario) - Dr. Scott Fairgrieve, chair of the department of forensic science at Laurentian University, has recently published Forensic Cremation - Recovery and Analysis. Presenting current research in forensic anthropology in a condensed, useable format, this book provides crucial information on the handling of cremated remains and a methodical approach designed to maximize the potential of the evidence, from the point of its discovery to the end of its analysis. To read the complete press release, please click here. To view the book advertisement, please click here.

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