This week saw the Forensic and Crime Science Society host their 5th annual Student-Led Undergraduate Research Conference, which was a tremendous success with over 100 students, ERASMUS interns and staff attending from all academic years across the Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Department at Staffordshire University.
Maria Maclennan
Our second year undergraduate students organised and ran the conference inviting opening keynote speaker Maria Maclennan to discuss her PhD and expertise as a forensic jeweller and closing keynote Deneen Hernandez presenting on her role as a cryptanalyst with the FBI.
Daphne vG
During the afternoon, five students delivered oral presentations covering research in the following areas:
- Non-destructive methods of DNA recovery from latent fingermarks;
- Victim journey after the reporting of a sexual assault;
- Development of a likelihood ratio approach for ammunition identification;
- Impact of firing through skin simulant on fired ammunition components;
- Effects on decomposition after encasing pork in cement.
Elli S Sexual Assault Reporting
The lunch break made for a vibrant and interesting discussion around 8 student poster presentations, also giving attendees the chance to network and individually meet our invited speakers.
Both Maria and Deneen were very impressed with the organisation of the FACS Society and the professional delivery of all student presenters. Drs Rachel Bolton-King and Laura Walton-Williams, who are the academic support for the conference, were immensely proud of all who were involved and are already looking forward to what next year’s conference may bring! Videos of most of the presentations can be found on the FACS Society Facebook page (https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/FACSStaffs/videos/?ref=page_internal) #ProudToBeStaffs.