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Now that your appetite for all things Marshall Forensics Sciences has been whet be sure to check out the State Journals article on the department. It’s clear that, from it’s humble beginnings Marshall’s Forensic Science program has grown into something both the University and the City can be proud of.

Marshall University has a new Second Life island – MUOnline. Second Life is the Internet’s largest, 3-D virtual world community, created by Linden Lab, a San Francisco-based company.

In Second Life, participants (called residents) can socialize and build homes, businesses, and entire islands for fun and recreation, as well as for business and educational purposes.

“Several higher education institutions are already utilizing Second Life to offer classes, provide information, host conferences, and allow prospective students to tour campus facilities virtually,” said Kelli R. Mayes, director of the Marshall Technology Outreach Center.

Marshall University has recently developed an island – MUOnline – in Second Life that will allow students, alumni, and anyone interested in the university to visit the Huntington campus virtually and to experience some of the attractions Marshall has to offer. In addition, visitors may also find information about the university and online courses via interactive kiosks, video walls, in-world chat, and e-mail.

Some of the fun things available on the MUOnline island include climbing the rock wall and swimming in the pool at the new Marshall Recreation Center. Persons also may check out the new residence halls and visit the MU Bookstore, where they can get a few virtual freebies as well as search for and buy textbooks online.

To explore Marshall University’s island, participants need to set up a Second Life account and create an avatar, a 3-D representation of oneself, which can be altered as desired.

“To get started, just go online to www.secondlife.com, create your avatar and download Second Life,” Mayes said. “You will then be ready to begin exploring this virtual world. You may visit the Marshall University MUOnline Island by searching for MUOnline in Second Life.”

For more information on Marshall University’s Technology Outreach Center, go online to www.marshall.edu/mtoc, e-mail mtoc@marshall.edu, or call 304-696-7084.

Five Marshall graduate students earned the Forensic Science Program highest honors on the Forensic Science Assessment Test, a qualifying test offered each year by the American Board of Criminalistics. One of Marshall’s students ranked second in overall test results among students from nine other forensic science programs.

Dr. Terry W. Fenger, director of the program, said the test is useful for assessing the program’s strengths and demonstrating to prospective students and the general public its ability to meet national standards. “Support obtained by U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd enabled the Marshall University Forensic Science Center to build its infrastructure and develop the academic program,” he said.

Dr. Pamela Staton, program coordinator, said the test scores are evidence of the high quality education the program provides. “The quality of an academic program can be measured by a program’s achievement of national accreditation and how well its students perform on national board examinations,” she said. “The Forensic Science Program at Marshall University has achieved both of these honorable distinctions. This translates to high quality forensic science services to law enforcement, the legal profession, and the public as graduates of this program become forensic scientists in the field.”

Marshall’s Forensic Science Graduate Program is one of only a few such programs in the country that is Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)-accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The students who participated in the test are now graduates of the nationally recognized Forensic Science Program. They demonstrated their knowledge in disciplines including forensic biology, controlled substances, trace analysis, toxicology, latent prints, questioned documents, fire debris, and firearms/tool marks.

The test is offered to students in their last semester of an academic forensic science program. While seeking their first job, recent college graduates may use their test results to demonstrate their knowledge across a broad range of forensic science disciplines.

The nine forensic science programs that participated in the exam included Marshall University, Arcadia University, Cedar Crest College, Duquesne University, Ohio University, Penn State University, Sam Houston University, University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of North Texas.

The American Board of Criminalistics offers a wide array of testing and certification services that focus on the forensic sciences.