Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Degree Handbook 2012-2013 FT&C committee Dr. Mahrukh Azam Dr. Blaise Frost (Co-Chair) Dr. Monica Joshi Dr. Tim Starn (Co-Chair, Internship Coordinator) Dr. Karyn Usher Please see the chemistry department handbook for more information about our degree requirements.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry program in the West Chester University Department of Chemistry is to cultivate chemistry professionals who have acquired a sound combination of fundamental chemical knowledge, basic forensic science concepts, analytical chemical skills needed to analyze physical evidence, communication skills, and ethical principles & practices. Our graduates will be well-prepared for graduate degrees and to become highly successful Forensic and Toxicological Chemists at an introductory level in crime or related laboratories. Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Degree Core Goals: Our curriculum is designed to fulfill our mission through the accomplishment of the specific goals listed below. On fulfilling the curricular requirements our graduates can expect to have gained the following: 1. Strong foundation in chemistry. 2. Fundamental knowledge in biological sciences and statistics. 3. Extensive laboratory skills 4. Fundamental understanding of forensic sciences and application of analytical chemistry. 5. Scientific writing and oral communication skills. Ethics Statement: A student that successfully completes this degree will be a chemist with specialized knowledge in forensics and toxicology. All students in this program are expected to adhere to WCU standards of academic honesty. In addition, the student is advised of the typical suitability requirements particular to employment in this field. Students should note that background checks similar to those required for law enforcement officers are likely to be a condition of employment (Reference: NIJ Report NCJ 203099 Qualifications for a Career in Forensic Science. pp. 7-10). Non-Discrimination Statement: At West Chester University, a public institution, all admissions and curricular requirements are applied equitably to all students regardless of age, sex, race, disability, religion, or national origin. A copy of the university catalog is available online. The Student Life handbook, Ram s Eye View, from the Division of Student Affairs, is available online. Student Complaints: Your quality education is our primary concern. If an issue ever arises in which you believe you have not been treated equitably, there are clear policies outlined in the Ram's Eye View for you to find a resolution. In short, try to work out the issue directly with the individuals involved. If this does not lead to a satisfactory solution, you may then work your way up the chain of command (Department chair, Dean, Provost, President) until you have either solved the issue or you have run out of options. You might not always like the outcome of a lodged complaint, but 2
you have the right to due process under University guidelines. Make sure you follow the procedures outlined in the Ram's Eye View. Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Student Internship The Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry (F&TC) degree requires that each student complete an approved internship. This is your capstone practical experience and is a chance to apply your coursework. However, this internship is to be earned through successful completion of the interview process and your academic performance. Each student must be aware of the following: 1. Students must have the permission of the department's Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry committee prior to beginning their internship. Permission will not be granted after work has begun. 2. The student must consult with the internship coordinator at least one semester prior to the semester he/she plans to do the internship to be placed on the internship planning list. 3. This consultation will include presentation of a completed internship application (available from the FT&C committee chair or the department chair.) 4. This interview is not a mere formality. (See more details below.) The student will be allowed to obtain an internship only if the interview process is completed. 5. Although it is scheduled on the F&TC program advising sheet during a student s last semester, an internship may be taken any time after the student has successfully completed CHE371 (Forensic Chemistry) and CRL 371 (Forensic Chemistry Lab), and the interview with the committee. 6. During the internship, the student must report regularly to their internship coordinator regarding internship activities. Updates are required either weekly (summer) or biweekly (spring/fall). The internship coordinator will also communicate with the student's supervisor during the course of the internship. 7. Both the FT&C committee and the supervisor at the internship location reserve the right to cancel a students internship if unfavorable and damaging information is received regarding the students behavior at the internship location. The university maintains healthy relationships with all the internship locations and students are expected to represent WCU and the Chemistry Department well. 8. The evaluation of the internship has two components: a) internship supervisor evaluation b) score on the internship paper. The internship coordinator will ask for an evaluation from the student s supervisor for your internship. Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Interviews Every student must successfully complete an interview with the Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Committee before registering for their internship. This interview is typically completed the semester (note: interviews are only held in the Fall and Spring semesters) before the student wants to perform the internship. The following are some guidelines. Each student is responsible for scheduling the interview. 3
The student should contact each member of the F&TC committee to schedule the interview before the end of the third week of the semester. The scheduled date of the interview should be before the withdraw date for the semester. Once the date and time are fixed, the student should see the department secretary to reserve the interview room (typically SS115). The student should send each member of the FT&C committee a copy of his/her resume 24-48 hours before the scheduled interview along with a reminder of the interview time and date. The student should bring a copy of the resume for each of the committee members when he/she comes to the interview. This interview should be treated like a job interview. The students are expected to dress professionally and carry themselves in a professional manner. If you know where you will be doing your internship, research the types of techniques that are typically used and the type of analyses that are typically performed. If you are not certain where you will be doing the internship, prepare for the interview by researching the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Laboratory in West Chester, PA. Typical questions in the interview will involve information shared on your resume and topics that have been covered in your coursework. Review techniques and instruments that you have used in your coursework, and also experiments that you have performed. If you have done undergraduate research, review the theory behind the experiment. You will be informed about whether or not you have successfully completed the interview within 48 hours. If you have been successful, you will work with the internship coordinator for the next step. If you have not been successful you will have until the 14 th week of the semester to complete another interview. If you are unable to schedule a second interview time (start scheduling right away), or if you do not successfully complete the interview the second time, you must wait until the following semester to reinterview. The committee reserves the right to ask for an updated/corrected resume and/or a paper related to topics that were discussed in the interview. Internship Report Guidelines This is to be a formal report that will be evaluated by both the internship coordinator and your internship supervisor. You should expect it to be about 10 pages long, double-spaced, size 12 font. The internship coordinator will read it, make comments and corrections and expect a revised version. You will not receive your grade for your internship until this is complete. The paper score is based on demonstrated knowledge, understanding, and application of the chemistry involved in the internship. The score will also reflect proper use of the English language. The following sub-headings are expected in the paper: 1. Title of the project, your name, date, location of the internship, internship supervisor, etc. 2. Introduction: State the objectives of your project. Discuss what kinds of samples and types of analyses with which you were involved. Summarize the theory of the chemistry and instrumentation that will be employed. Describe the procedures for chain of custody if any at your place of work. 4
3. Experimental: Explain the procedures used, here. List all steps involved: sampling, sample preparation, isolation of the analyte, measurement step(s), and standards, controls. Describe any difficulties you encountered during the experiment. A sketch of special apparatus would be useful. 4. Data: Organize the data that you have collected into tables and/or graphs where appropriate. You will likely have a huge number of cases you have worked on. Pick one that you would like to discuss in detail and present that data, with the permission of your place of internship. 5. Calculations and Results: Include any appropriate calibrations. Explain how any statistical analyses were done. 6. Discussion: From the statistical analysis, discuss the significance of the results that you obtained. Consider whether the precision of your results is reasonable for the particular method of analysis you chose. Describe any potential sources of error which your standardization did not correct. Propose any steps which might be taken to improve the method. 7. Use the report to express what you learned about your profession and the working world. You might comment on what you learned about SOP's or chain of custody. Was there something that particularly excited you about the lab? Disappointed you? The floor is open for your comments. 8. Any sign of plagiarism will lead to an automatic F for the internship paper. The following are a few examples of plagiarism: a. text from other authors without appropriate references b. text from papers submitted by other students in the program c. minor modifications to sentences taken from another source and not citing references d. complete sentences in quotes without references. Read, synthesize material and rephrase. Use quotes only if absolutely necessary. e. figures and tables without references Forensic Science Assessment Test (FSAT) The FSAT is an assessment tool administered by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) in association with other forensic educational and professional organizations. The test can be used to assess the knowledge of students in forensic science undergraduate and graduate programs. All students in the FT&C program will be required to take this test in their final semester. No special studying is required for this test. The test results will be used by the FT&C committee to assess the FT&C program and to demonstrate student success. The scores of the test will be shared only with the student and used anonymously for program assessment. The students may choose to include the test results in their resume to demonstrate forensic science proficiency to potential employers. The price for the test is $60 and it is administered on campus. 5
FORENSIC AND TOXICOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY COMMITTEE INTERVIEW EVALUATION RUBRIC WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT Student name and graduation date: Interview date: Desired Internship Position: Pre-interview checklist Checklist Item Yes No Arrived on time Emailed resume and interview reminder Brought copies of a polished resume Dressed appropriately All of these must be checked yes for interview to proceed. Internship interview evaluation criteria: Criterion Maximum Score Pass Score Student academic record 10 5 Knowledge of internship site 10 6 Ability to answer questions 10 7 related to items on resume Ability to answer questions 10 6 related to chemistry coursework Ability to answer questions 10 6 related to forensic analysis Overall score: 50 30 Student Score Evaluator s Comments: Recommended very highly Recommended highly Recommend Recommended with reservations Not recommended Evaluator s name (print): 6
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT INTERN EVALUATION RUBRIC Intern: Click here to enter text. Semester: Click here to enter text. Brief list of responsibilities: Click here to enter text. Hours per week (approximate): Click here to enter text. Number of weeks: Click here to enter text. Evaluator name and Position: Click here to enter text. Note: All information on this form is being used for grading purposes. All information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with the intern. Thank you for your time and consideration I. Part A Based on your observation of the student during his/her internship please answer each of the following questions on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Please include any additional comments if needed. Survey of student potential Ability to follow orders/ take direction Poor Scale Good Excellent Comments 1 2 3 4 5 Ability to work with others General attitude Initiative Punctuality Quality of work Quantity of work Safety observations 7
II. PART B: Thinking about the students potential as an employee in a forensic and toxicological lab, answer each of the following questions on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being least likely and 5 being most likely. Please include any additional comments if needed. Survey of student potential How likely are you to hire this person for your lab if a position were available? How likely are you to write a favorable recommendation for this person if asked? How would you rank the general work of this intern compared to other interns/new employees? How would you rank the preparedness of this intern compared to other interns/new employees? How would you rank the overall performance of this intern? Poor Scale Good Excellent Comments 1 2 3 4 5 Please list any particular skills that you found lacking in this intern. Click here to enter text. Please list any particular skills that this intern demonstrated that impressed you. Click here to enter text. Any additional comments? Click here to enter text. 8
Course Code Course number CHE 103 COURSE ADVISING SHEET B. S. Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry (approved) Year 1 Course General Chemistry I Semester credit hours Course code Course number Course Semester credit hours 3 CHE 104 General Chemistry II 3 CRL 103 Exp. Gen. Chem. I 1 CRL 104 Exp. Gen. Chem. II 1 MAT 161 Calculus I 4 WRT XXX Writing Course 3 WRT 120 Effective Writing I BIO 110 General Biology 3 3 MAT 121 Statistics 3 COM XXX Communication Studies GEd XXX B/SS (1) 3 MAT 162 Calculus II 4 Total credits 17 Total credits 17 CHE 231 Organic Chemistry I Year II 4 CHE 232 Organic Chemistry II 3 CRL 231 Exp. Org. Chem. I 2 BIO 204 Microbiology 4 CHE 321 Analytical Chemistry I 3 PHY 180 Physics II 4 CRL 321 Exp Analyt Chem I 2 GEd XXX Diverse Communities 3 PHY 170 Physics I 4 GEd XXX Humanities (1) 3 Total credits 15 Total credits 17 Year III BIO 230 Genetics 3 GEd XXX Humanities (2) 3 CHE 341 Physical Recomb. DNA 4 BIL 333 Chemistry I Techniques 2 CRL 341 Exp. Phys. Chem I 2 CHE 479 Toxicology 3 CHE 371 Forensic Chemistry 3 GEd XXX Arts 3 CRL 371 Forensic Chemistry Lab 2 CHE YYY Chemistry Elective 3 CHE 418 Chemical Information 1 Total credits 15 Total credits 14 Year IV CHE 476 Biochemistry I 3 CHE 451 Internship 1 CRL 476 Experimental Biochem I 2 GEd XXX Student Elective 3 3 9
CHE 491 Chemistry Seminar GEd XXX Interdisciplinary 3 CRJ 110 1 GEd XXX Student Elective 3 Introduction to Criminal Justice System* GEd XXX B/SS (2) 3 GEd XXX Student Elective 3 Total credits 12 Total credits 13 3 Department safety exam Total overall credits 120 LEGEND Students may take WRT 206, 208, or 220 Choose from COM 101,208, 216 or 230. Advanced chemistry and science electives are strongly advised for student electives. * CRJ 210 may be substituted for CRJ 110 Notes on course selection. 1. BIO431 is highly recommended for those wanting to pursue DNA work in their career path. You will have to select this course as one of your electives. 2. In your junior or senior year, F&TC students must take CHE433, Chemistry and Law (Evidence course). This is offered only every other year. If you are a junior and it is being offered, you must take it then. 3. CHE/CRL 424 are not required but strongly recommended! Many of your predecessors have found these courses (lecture and lab) very useful. You should very seriously consider selecting this course as one of your electives. 10
Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry Faculty Name and position Interests Joined Faculty Courses taught* Blaise Frost, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Chair, Co-Director of Degree Program Tim Starn, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Co-Director of Degree Program Mahrukh Azam, Ph.D., Associate Professor Monica Joshi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Karyn Usher, Ph.D., Associate Professor Biochemist with interest in Toxicology and mitochondrial DNA. Analytical Chemist with interest in Atmospheric Chemistry. GC, GC-MS, HPLC, Spectroscopy. Biochemist with research interest in DNA analysis. Forensic and analytical chemist with interest in GC-MS, IMS and method development for materials of forensic interest. Analytical Chemist with interest in Chromatography, HPLC, GCMS and Sample Preparation Methods 1989 CHE476 1996 CHE321, CRL321, CHE424, CRL424, CHE451 2004 CHE476, CRL476 2010 CHE371, CRL371, CHE479 2005 CHE321, CRL321 * Relative to the F&TC program. Part-time faculty contributors to the F&TC program are listed below: Name and position Interests Courses taught James Harrington, Esq. James Miller, BA Chemistry Law, Evidence, Patent Law Forensic Services CHE433 (Special Topics: Evidence) Contributor to CHE371. 11