West Virginia Universitys cutting-edge biometrics systems program is featured in the latest issue of Newsweek magazine with worldwide circulation of 4.1 million, including 3.1 million in the United States.
The biometrics major, part of WVU s prominent forensics identification degree program that operates in conjunction with the Universitys computer science and electrical engineering programs, is highlighted in a special careers and technology report titled”Next Frontiers.”
Biometrics is the identification of an individual by a unique physical characteristic, such as the pattern of an iris.
The article notes that the war on terrorism has created a great need for biometrics experts and alludes to West Virginias efforts to become a hub for the biometrics industry.
Scan of Sept. 23 Newsweek that features WVU Biometrics program. Links to Newsweek’s story.
“This worldwide, positive publicity for our program is priceless,”said Michael Yura, director of WVU s forensic identification program.”It can only help in getting more students interested in a field that has taken off like a wildfire since 9-11.”
WVU established the biometrics systems program in 1998 in cooperation with the FBI . It has carved a niche among universities across the world in educating and training tomorrows biometrics and fingerprint identification professionals.
WVU also serves as the home for the Center for Identification Technology Research, or CITeR. WVU developed CITeR with three other universities to serve as the first comprehensive academic center for biometrics. The goal of CITeR is to further the development of biometrics through new technologies research, interdisciplinary training of scientists and engineers and facilitation of the transfer of this technology to the private and government sectors.
The Newsweek feature comes on the heels of a piece in a Sept. 6-8 USA Weekend that featured WVU s forensics program.
To view the Newsweek article about WVU s biometrics systems program on-line, go tohttp://www.msnbc.com/news/808179.asp