When a select group of West Virginia University graduates walks across the Coliseum stage to receive their diplomas May 13, they can honestly say their course work was murder.

Thats because they are the first to graduate from WVU s one-of-a-kind bachelors degree program in fingerprint identification.

The program, established in December 1997 in cooperation with the FBI , has carved a niche among universities across the world in educating and training tomorrows fingerprint and biometrics identification professionals.

Now, when the FBI and other crime solving agencies need answers, they will likely be turning to WVU graduates for that help, said Mike Yura, the brainchild behind the degree-specific program.

“Professionals in the field will now have degrees, plus experience,”said Dr. Yura, who coordinates the program.”In the past, forensic specialists were primarily trained on the job. Some recent high-profile cases like the Oklahoma City bombing, the O.J. Simpson trial and the TWA and ValuJet crashes, underscores the importance of gathering and presenting forensic evidence �€both in helping to solve the crime and in increasing public safety.”

Graduates say they are not only getting a well-balanced dose of interdisciplinary coursework �€everything from forensic photography and physics to computer imaging and technical writingbut some hands-on crime scene work as well.

A small brick house tucked away at 383 Oakland Street on the Evansdale Campus may look ordinary, they claim, but it is far from it. Nearly every week, a different crime scene is established based on a true-life scenario.

Instructors like West Virginia State Police Sgt. Mark Neal and State Medical Examiner Jack Frost use the furnished and fully functioning home as a”working laboratory”where students use the skills theyve acquired to solve crimes like a murder, a child kidnapping, a burglary or an arson.

Students look for blood, body fluids, hair, fibers, fingerprints and other trace evidence planted by their instructors. They wear gloves so they dont contaminate the evidence, take photographs, package the materials carefully, keep a log, and more.

Brandon Farley, 23, of Hurricane, was a biology/chemistry major when he heard about the new program. A traditional student who has supported himself throughout college, Farley quickly immersed himself in the course work and never looked back.

“I was fortunate that this program fit right into my schedule. And I was very lucky to be able to take a proactive role in its development by working in the Forensic Office,”he said.

But the greatest perk, he noted, is the level of educational involvement forensic students receive.

“It is just far above the rest because of the one-on-one relationships you establish with the instructors and their level of knowledge. They are, after all, the highest authorities on the subject in their field.”

Farley is even keeping crime solving in the family He is engaged to Kristi Wick, a criminal justice major at MarshallUniversity.

Hes been offered a job at the State Police Crime Lab this summer, and hopes to someday work for the Office of Special Investigations. His also plans to further his education by pursuing a doctoral degree.

Alex Ramsburg, 25, of Romney, is receiving his second degree from WVU . His first was in biology. While he doesnt have a job lined up yet, he is”actively searching”for just the right forensic science position. He, too, gives the interdisciplinary program high marks.

“The program offers courses in a number of disciplines in addition to a strong foundation of science courses,”Ramsburg said.”Ive had courses in the rules of law and evidence, fingerprinting, crime scene investigations and bloodstain pattern analysis.

“Since these courses are taught by veteran forensic specialists who are actively employed in their field, I can’t say enough about how well weve been prepared for a future in the forensic science arena. Having had the opportunity to learn from these individuals has been the most rewarding aspect of the program for me.”

Single mom and graduating senior Kelly Ayers, 27, has already nailed her first criminal. As an intern with the Western Maryland State Police in Cumberland last summer near her hometown of Romney, she visited crime scenes and collected fingerprints that were sent to the state print lab in Pikesville, Md.

As she was comparing fingerprints left on a fraudulent check to a suspects fingerprints, she noticed that a single fingerprint on the check matched one of the suspects. With that small procedure, Ayers helped identify the criminal.

Thats good news for the Ashville, N.C. Police Department, where Ayers begins work the day after graduation as a forensic services technician.

“This program has really jumped into the practical field whereas other schools tend to focus on laboratory techniques,”she said.”WVUs program requires the harder sciences, but also moves into a vocational training during the last years.”

Internships, Yura agreed, are an important part of the program. And because the FBI s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg is just 40 miles away, students have also had the chance to travel there for internships and lab experiences.

“We are fortunate that just down the road is the countrys single largest repository of fingerprints and fingerprint specialists,”he said.”Thats an invaluable asset.”

Approximately 140 students are currently enrolled in WVU s forensic identification degree program, which also has a biometrics componentthe use of scanning and analysis techniques to verify a persons identity through unique physical characteristics or personal traits.

Additionally, WVU has begun collaborating with the U.S. Army on a planned Biometrics Fusion Center in nearby Bridgeport, with the hope of establishing a graduate program in information assurancewhich is vital in todays digital world.

WVU s recent designation as one of only 21”Centers for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education”by the National Security Agency, further establishes WVU as a leader in these high tech fields, said George Trapp, chairman of the WVU Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

“Demand for sophisticated specialists in fingerprint identification and biometrics is skyrocketing,”Yura added,”and WVU is thrilled to be able to provide opportunities for West Virginians and others to enter these fields. And I know our first crop of graduates will do their land-grant research university proud. This is an exciting commencement.”