Prestigious forensic scientist to visit Mizzou
Sean Comstock, posted Dec. 8, 2006
MU will host Carrie Whitcomb, the director of the National Center for Forensic Science, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. for her presentation, Forensic Science: The Past, the Present, and the Future. The presentation will focus on the advances in digital forensics and the necessity for backing this field. “We are truly on a threshold for a tremendous change in forensic science and the way we live,” Whitcomb said. The event is free to students, faculty and staff and will be held in 115 Cornell Hall.
Whitcomb was the first female and chemist appointed as the Director of the Postal Inspection Service Headquarters Crime Laboratory where she worked as a lab chemist instructing inspectors on processing crime scenes and collecting evidence. The position also required her to testify as an expert witness throughout the U.S. in forensic cases.
Aside from being the first woman appointed as a federal crime laboratory director in Washington, Whitcomb was elected president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors in 1995. In 1999, Whitcomb accepted the position as Director of the National Center for Forensic Science and resigned from the federal government after 23 years of service. Carrie also found time to obtain her private pilot license in less than six months.
Whitcomb specializes in digital forensics such as digital-audio, video and computer evidence and stresses the need for advancements in these fields. “Digital evidence will overwhelm the world if there is not a tremendous input of funds and resources to address this problem. Knowing what is real and not real will be a challenge, and is a challenge today,” said Whitcomb. While computer databases and the Internet are useful resources, they are also a new modality to commit crimes says Whitcomb. Spoofing and identity theft are also huge concerns for our economy.
“If good is to overcome evil, we need to have international consensus on solving these problems. Our world is not our home, our town, or our country. We are global in our living room,” said Whitcomb.
The rapidly expanding field of forensic science will spawn a need for forensic specialists to fill developing positions. While Whitcomb believes people should find a career parallel with their talents, she also stresses the importance such a career holds.
“Forensic science is an exciting career, but it has to take top priority in your life and above your family.When someone’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, depends on your work, techniques, tenacity and knowledge, you have to give your all as long as it takes,” Whitcomb said.
Whitcomb graduated with a Master's in Forensic Science from George Washington University and has produced four publications and received significant awards for her success in forensic sciences. You can view a full catalog of Carrie Whitcomb’s career online.
