SLED Partners with University of South Carolina to Enhance Access to Forensic Job Skills for Students

According to a recent Columbia Metropolitan Magazine article, interest in the class could eventually fill a growing need in the labor market.

 

The University of South Carolina’s Dr. Way Fountain notes, “If a student is interested and wants to major in forensic science, they have to go out of state — and if they leave the state, they tend not to come back.”  Dr. Fountain adds there is currently no certified forensic science program in South Carolina. However, USC has an interdisciplinary program that includes an introduction to forensic science course. 

 

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has donated equipment to the USC forensic program, and Dr. Wendy Bell says hands-on-experience is critical to the student’s success. She now serves as a guest lecturer on the USC campus as enthusiasm in the program has grown. 

 

The University is also seeing a growing number of pre-law and sociology students enrolled. Dr. Bell shares her enthusiasm with the students, dissecting the challenges and rewards of her career, hoping they will consider forensics in their future.

 

Dr. Bell is the captain of forensic operations for SLED’s Forensic Services Laboratory, supervising toxicology, implied consent, questioned documents, trace evidence, and the drug analysis departments.

 

Read more here: https://columbiametro.com/article/crime-solvers/

 

Photo: USC's Dr. A. Way Fountain and SLED's Dr. Wendy Bell in Columbia Metropolitan Magazine.