Written by Asia White

Ball State University’s Forensic Science Program, launched in July 2024, stands out with its comprehensive approach that provides students with hands-on forensic experience through four concentration paths that bridge the gap between law enforcement and various scientific fields. In Forensic Science 101, Professors Ashley Aiken and Jennifer Christman don’t just teach; they guide their students in applying their knowledge in a practical setting. 

The first interactive lesson of the semester was a mock crime scene, which challenged students to apply the marking, photography, and sketching techniques they’d learned in class. 

“This was about exercising and applying those three techniques to kind of place together what they thought happened,” said Christman.  

For the activity, the students divided into four groups and placed yellow evidence markers in the scattered trash, white outlines, and spilled drinks, which they used to help capture the evidence in the scene. When photographing evidence, students had to understand how lights and shadows affect the scene and how the perspective of the photo with other objects can be vital in an investigation. 

“It helped to know exactly what to look for and being able to have an open mind because you want to look for things that people don’t notice,” said Kenny Meyers, a freshman from Westfield, IN, majoring in Forensic Science.

As a freshman Forensic Science major at Ball State University, Meyers can explore her passion for forensics by using hands-on methods to learn the crime scene investigation process and hone her skills. Before the hands-on activity, students were taught various strategies for approaching a crime scene. In this instance, the students used the spiral search pattern, where they began on the outskirts of the scene and worked their way to the center of the room, marking anything out of the ordinary for later review. This spiral method is most common for small indoor and outdoor crimes; however, students also learned about quadrant and grid searches, both of which are used for large-scale crime scenes. 

Exploring the Four Concentrations 

Meyers, who uses she/they pronouns, is pursuing Forensic Science because she enjoys the meticulous, detail-oriented approach to solving crime. “I’ve always said I can see connections and patterns. I seek them. I find them, and I use them,” she said.

Meyers has always been deeply fascinated with forensics, especially the psychological aspects of crimes. Fortunately, Ball State University’s Forensic Science Program offers four concentrations: Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, Digital Forensics, and Behavioral Forensics. This comprehensive program, the first of its kind in Indiana, allows cardinals to gain foundational knowledge of the forensic science discipline before branching off to specialize in their area of interest.

However, even as a freshman, Meyers is confident that behavioral forensics is the pathway for them. Her father’s career involved organizing mental health care for soldiers in the National Guard and introduced her to the field of psychology and behaviors. 

Meyers originally wanted to double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. However, during her orientation she ran into one of her mom’s friends who worked with Ball State and mentioned their new Forensic Science program, which offers a concentration in behavioral forensics. 

Since starting Forensics 101 this fall, Meyers has experienced multiple hands-on activities coordinated by professors Aiken and Christman that have supplied her with the necessary skills to pursue a future in forensics.

Blood Spatter Analysis

Halfway through the semester, students from Professor Aiken’s and Christman’s classes met in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology conference room, wrapped themselves in plastic ponchos, booties, and gloves, and–with pen and paper in hand–got messy learning the science of blood spatter analysis. To mimic blood spatter, the students used an artillery of prop weapons, such as a bat, gun, and knife. Students took turns pouring fake blood onto a sponge and rubber-banded it to a Century BOB Punching Manikin. 

From there, Meyers and her peers hit the manikin to observe how blood can cast off a victim onto their surroundings. Cast-off spatter is one of the most common patterns found in crime scenes, caused when a bloody object is moved or swung quickly enough to release blood. Along with cast-off, students were able to analyze medium-velocity spatter caused by direct impact, usually with a weapon. Additionally, students learned about motion droplets and satellite blood patterns caused by an object in motion. To demonstrate, they dipped their gloved hands in a bowl of fake blood as they walked, paced, and ran along a stretch of canvas to analyze the disparity in each pattern. 

“We were able to see the difference in the movement of the blood spatter, which I thought was insanely cool. You could see the different satellites where it was coming from where it stopped. It was so fun,” Meyers exclaimed as they recalled the activity. 

Meyers’ Future in Forensic Science

Meyers’ passion for forensics extends beyond the scientific analysis of crimes to the psychological and behavioral aspects of why people commit crimes, focusing on these aspects to strive for a deeper understanding of the motivations behind criminal behavior. 

“If there’s any way we can make [the criminal justice system] better, we should be making it better.”

Meyers’ strong desire to reshape the system as we know it encourages her to work toward a future to remove the stigma of mental health from the media while explaining the psychology of criminals to help humanize them. She uses her social media platform to advocate for better therapy and rehabilitation programs that help incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society. 

“I want to be able to better explain the mind of a criminal to people who wouldn’t really think about those things,” Meyers explained as she shared the importance of understanding behavioral aspects and how those can shift the public perception of crimes in news media as well as the judicial system, as a way to better understand people and their actions. “Whether it be fighting for them in that sense or trying to establish better ways for criminals who are in prison to have some sort of therapy, this goes for anyone.”

To learn more about the Forensic Science major, visit Ball State University’s Academic Programs or check out @ballstate_forensics on Instagram to see what current students are discovering from the program. Ask your advisor about enrolling in FOR 101 this spring to experience this extensive program.