‘Pain-staking’ research is commended by forensic science industry

Published: 22 November 2007 at 11:10

Anglia Ruskin University’s Faculty of Science and Technology has awarded three students its annual, industry-sponsored prizes for projects undertaken within the area of forensic science and chemistry study.

The undergraduate students from the Department of Forensic Science and Chemistry in Cambridge were awarded the prizes in recognition of the high quality of their final year dissertations. The Forensic Science Service, Gardiner’s Associates and the Royal Society of Chemistry each donated this year’s prizes.

Victoria Travers, (from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire) a student graduating with a BSc (hons) Forensic Science, picked up the Forensic Science Service prize for thebest undergraduate thesis in forensic science for her study of evidence that can be collected from a bath surface after a victim has bathed using a new Evidence Recovery System. The prize, which is the only award presented by the Forensic Science Service for an undergraduate thesis in the UK, was presented by Dr. David Reardon, General Manager of the Huntingdon Forensic Science Laboratory.

At the same time, John Bostock,(from Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire), a student also graduating with an MSc in Fire Investigtion, was awarded the Gardiner’s Associates Prize for the best thesis in fire investigation. The prize, given for John’s postgraduate thesis, entitled ‘Child and Juvenile Firesetters: Effective and Appropriate Interventions’, was presented by Bob Smith from Gardiner Associates, who are a major provider of fire investigation training in the UK.

And finally, Heather Puddephatt (Wellingborough, Northants), a student graduating with a BSc (hons) in Chemistry, was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry prize for the best thesis in chemistry. Heather’s work discusses the preparation of semi-continuous emulsion polymers.

Heather has done particularly well in that she also received an award for the best BSc (hons) student in Chemistry from Anglia Ruskin University which will be awarded at a later event.

Head of Department Professor Mike Cole said:

“These students have not only impressed the forensic science staff at Anglia Ruskin University but these top named sponsors who have all commented on the particularly high standard of this year’s award winners.”

"Our reputation in the region continues to strengthen and this is due to the fact that we have the best teaching programmes and they are attracting the best students from across the UK."

"These three students have worked exceptionally hard to achieve these prizes – but they all have one thing in common they are all committed to solving real life issues within the field of forensic science. They are obviously dedicated to the subject of forensic investigation and will go on to fast-track their way through their chosen career paths."

The Department of Forensic Science and Chemistry is the only such Department in the country to hold this suite of prizes and has recently been described as the Department which ‘sets standards’ to which ‘other universities should aspire’ by the industry and external examiners. Graduates continue to find prestigious jobs with, for example, the forensic science service and the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory.

The Forensic Science degrees offered by Anglia Ruskin University, which are based on scientific disciplines and techniques that may be used to produce evidence acceptable in a court of law, have recently undergone Quality Agency Audits and have obtained top classifications. The include BSc (Hons) Forensic Science, Forensic Science and Biomedical Science, Forensic Science and Criminology and Forensic Science and Psychology.