Two recent graduates of Eastern Kentucky University’s nationally prominent Forensic Science Program will appear this summer in the Crime Scene University (CSU) program on the Investigation Discovery television channel.
Erin Strickland and Josh Barr were selected to be among 12 participants in a six-week crime scene investigation course last summer at Penn State University that formed the basis for the six-part series.
Typically, the students attended a crime scene investigation lecture-style class each morning, followed by a laboratory session and then a crime scene in the evening.
“We were participating in the class one way or another for about 12 hours a day and sometimes longer,” said Strickland, a Douglasville, Ga., native who is beginning graduate studies in chemistry this fall at Duke University.
“Most of the time our afternoons and evenings involved processing mock crime scenes that had been set up by our instructors as well as the (TV) production crew,” Barr said. “For TV purposes, we were separated into two teams of six students each. This was done to create a competition because we used two somewhat similar houses and the instructors tried to set up the scenes as similar as possible.”
Barr, a Circleville, Ohio, native now working with the Hamilton County (Ohio) Medical Examiner lab, said the Penn State course was taught by a group of scientists “with an immense amount of experience in a wide variety of forensic specialties. We covered a very broad range of topics in the field of crime investigation and I hope that the viewer will get a realistic appreciation of how important science at the crime scene really is.”
Strickland called the course “an amazing experience. The strong chemistry and lab background I obtained from EKU allowed me to understand some of the techniques used at the crime scene. The connection between the work in the lab and the work on the crime scene was more evident.”
Strickland said viewers of the CSU program “can expect to see what crime scene investigation is really like, in contrast to CSI and other Hollywood shows, the difficulties in interpreting the evidence correctly to get the true events of what happened at a crime scene and the great lengths, work and time it takes to finish a good, thorough investigation.”
The other participants were from Penn State, Arcadia University, Duquesne University, Cedar Crest College, Virginia Commonwealth University and Slippery Rock University.
“I think the most important thing I brought back from this course is an extra appreciation for the quality of our forensic science program here at EKU,” Barr said. “It’s hard to realize how good something really is until you get the chance to go out and measure yourself against other students that have gone through similar programs at other schools. I realize each program has its advantages and disadvantages, but it’s a good feeling after four years of hard work to know that you studied at one of the best programs in the country.”
The first program in the series airs at 8 and 11 p.m. Thursday.
Local News
EKU grads will make television appearance
- Local News
-
-
‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School. -
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. - More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
