Scientists and criminal investigators from around Iowa, the Midwest and national organizations descended upon campus to discuss the possibilities of a new forensics research center and a curriculum in forensics at Iowa State.

The ISU Institute for Physical Research and Technology, a network of 11 ISU centers including the Ames Laboratory, hosted the Midwest Regional Forensic Workshop Friday.

IPRT also donated $44,000 as the first step in the creation of a forensics research center at Iowa State.

The proposed center would provide fingerprinting, microscopic and drug identification services for local, regional and federal organizations. The center would also have professional training, research and development, graduate and undergraduate education and emergency resources.

Shelley Coldiron, associate scientist at the IPRT Microanalytical Instrumentation Center, said ISU students have expressed interest in learning about forensics.

“What we’re doing here … is actually trying to take it beyond a concept and turn it into a center that can be used by the region in forensics investigations,” Coldiron said.

Coldiron said the goal of the workshop was to incorporate others’ ideas into the process of creating the forensic center.

“This will be a challenge for the curriculum committee: to take everything we’ve talked about today and work it into a curriculum,” she said.

The workshop was also used to brainstorm ideas for funding the research center.

Josh Bergeron, member of the Forensic Science Curriculum Committee, said there is still much to be done before the forensics center becomes a reality.

“The committee itself, what they’re looking for, or things that would be holding them back — funding is one of them and whether they can get this program on the road, then what they get out of it and how they’re going to collaborate with the rest of the forensic science community,” he said.

Bergeron said he hopes to get a doctorate in forensic chemistry.

“Forensic science kind of seems to be the interesting part of science,” said Bergeron, graduate student in chemistry. “This part of science you have something to do every day — here’s a new crime, a new way to do it, a new screw up.”

A possible curriculum for Iowa State’s forensics program would include classes in chemistry, anthropology, sociology, psychology, law and accounting. Bergeron said the suggested curriculum probably will not appeal to underclassmen.

“Freshmen, sophomores coming in don’t know what they want to do with their lives, and when they see that whole list of courses, not many are going to say, ‘Hey, I want to do that,'” he said.

Terry Luikart, director of the crime laboratory of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said many skills of forensic scientists can only be learned on the job.

“Fingerprint identification … can’t be replaced by anything but years of experience,” he said.

Michael Rehberg, laboratory administrator for Des Moines criminal investigation, also said learning fundamental skills is the most important in a curriculum.

“We would much rather have somebody fresh out of school that has all the basic skills and then train them to do it our way,” he said.