Penn State Forensic Science Program

Congratulations to forensic faculty members Bill Campbell and Ralph Ristenbatt on their well deserved promotions to Associate Teaching Professor!

Penn State announces non-tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2026 | Penn State University Penn State has announced non-tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2026.

Congrats to all our forensic graduates! We are…so proud of you!

Congratulations to Jasmeen Khosa for receiving the Penn State Professional Master’s Excellence Award, which recognizes individual student excellence in a professional master's degree program under the Graduate School, in any discipline, based upon the student’s academic record in the graduate program and the quality and impact of the student’s culminating experience.

Said Khosa, "Receiving the Professional Master's Excellence Award is truly an honour and a significant milestone in my academic journey. To me, this award represents more than just recognition of my research; it reflects the dedication and growth I’ve experienced throughout my time at Penn State. Contributing to a large-scale project involving the sequencing and analysis of 10,000 complete human mitochondrial genomes, with a focus on site-specific heteroplasmy, has been a central part of my work. At the same time, serving as a teaching assistant, biosafety officer, and Vice President of DDE made the experience both challenging and incredibly rewarding, making this recognition even more meaningful. It also highlights the strong mentorship and support system I’ve been fortunate to have, which played a major role in my development. Winning this award is significant to me because it marks the culmination of my graduate experience and reinforces that the work I’ve accomplished has a real impact within the forensic science community. It motivates me to continue striving for excellence as I move forward in my career and to carry forward the same level of commitment and curiosity in all future endeavours."

We are... so proud of Jasmeen! We wish her, and her fellow graduating students, the best of luck as they move on to new adventures!

You can read more about Jasmeen and her fellow award winners at https://www.psu.edu/news/fox-graduate-school/story/forty-two-graduate-students-receive-university-awards and https://science.psu.edu/news/five-eberly-graduate-students-honored-research-and-excellence-awards

Our faculty don't just do amazing things in the lab and classroom, they reach into the community to make a difference! Dr. Jennifer McElhoe, an Associate Research Professor working in the Holland Lab, volunteers her time as a genetic genealogist with Wolf Pack DNA and recently helped close the case of a John Doe discovered in 2022.

Case Update: 2022 Idaho Falls John Doe/NamUs 🧬
Wolf Pack DNA, in partnership with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and Bode Technology, has assisted in the positive identification of 2022 Idaho Falls John Doe, NamUs Case .
While an ID has been confirmed and Idaho Falls John Doe has had his name returned to him and his family, the identification will not be made public at this time. We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this individual.
The volunteer investigative genetic genealogists at Wolf Pack DNA remain committed to using every available resource to assist medical examiners and law enforcement in the identification of John and Jane Does, as well as providing answers for families who are missing their loved ones.
Each solved case reminds us why we do this work.

Forensic Science Seminar: “Medical Examiner Systems: Career Paths in Forensics” by Dr. Megan Vosheski, Forensic Psychologist with the
Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office. Thursday, February 19th from 12:20 - 1:10 PM in 201 Thomas Building. Hosted by Dr. Jason Brooks.

Hall-crossed lovers Dr. Bones and Dexter make their debut for Valentine's Day! 💕

Dr. Bones lives in 325 Whitmore Lab across the hall from the Forensic Program office, 329 Whitmore Lab, where Dexter resides.

Photo credit: Maya Pearce
Direction and behind the scenes magic: Maya Pearce, Jazmine Roth, Taylor Geist

Image descriptions in photo captions.

The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Forensic Services has an opening for summer 2026 Internship at their Lima Regional Laboratory. Apply at the link below by January 20, 2026 if you are interested. Good luck to all who apply!

Commonwealth of PA Internships & Apprenticeships | Find Your Passion for Public Service! If you have questions regarding an internship opportunity, view the posting for the hiring agency’s contact information. Please be sure to check this page regularly for new opportunities that arise. For assistance with your username or password, click Sign In at the top of the page and click Forgo...

Happy First Day of the Semester! Welcome back Forensic students, staff, and faculty!

Congrats Megan on being named the Student Marshal for the Eberly College of Science at this semester’s graduation ceremony! We are…so proud of you!

Megan Wilson, forensic science student, has been named the Eberly College of Science's student marshal for the fall 2025 semester!

Her experience at Penn State taught her other lessons that stretch behind those in a textbook, such as the importance of community.

Read more about Megan at https://bit.ly/4pi5Pbt

Signal boost: FRNSC Club Haunted House Friday, Oct. 17th and Saturday, Oct. 18th 7pm-midnight. 7pm-8pm kids' hour (lights on family friendly scares) then full power scaring from 8pm-12am. $4.99 at the door.