Dr. Sarah Kerrigan, Director • IFRTI@shsu.edu
College of Criminal Justice • Sam Houston State University
IFRTI Homepage

Advancing Forensic Science...

The mission of the Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and Innovation (IFRTI) is to advance the practice of forensic science through strategic academic-industrial partnerships, industrially relevant research, and to deliver highly specialized training to the forensic practitioners and stakeholders.
Image: Faceshot of IFRTI Director Dr. Sarah Kerrigan Dr. Sarah Kerrigan
Director, IFRTI

About IFRTI

Welcome to the Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and Innovation (IFRTI) at Sam Houston State University. The Institute's principal goal is to promote interdisciplinary forensic research and encourage academic-industrial partnerships and training that serve the needs of the forensic community and its stakeholders.

As was noted in the landmark 2009 National Academies of Science (NAS) Report, institutes of higher education play a critical role advancing the standard and practice of forensic science in the United States. As a recognized leader in forensic science education at the graduate-level within one of the oldest and most well-respected Criminal Justice Colleges in the US, Sam Houston State University is committed to academic-industrial partnerships that advance the goals of the profession.

Through collaborative, interdisciplinary, and industrially relevant research and training, we hope to broaden scientific awareness and serve as a vehicle for technology transfer and innovation in a way that advances forensic science and the administration of justice locally, nationally, and globally.

Department of Forensic Science

The College of Criminal Justice's Department of Forensic Science is rich in history yet heavily geared toward the future. The Department of Forensic Science at SHSU was the first to offer an accredited Master of Science in Forensic Science degree program in Texas and continues to make strides in the field today. In 2015, Sam Houston State University developed the first multi-disciplinary PhD in Forensic Science in the United States. Programs utilize campus resources such as the latest scientific equipment found in crime labs and the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility - one of a small number of willed body donor facilities in the nation.

George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center

The College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University is one of the top programs in the country for the study of criminal justice and criminology, forensic science, and security studies and continues to set the national standard for these disciplines in higher education. Since 1963, the college has been at the forefront of academic research and professional leadership development.

As one of the most established, largest, and most prestigious criminal justice programs in the country, the College of Criminal Justice continues to set national standards in the field in both research and practice. The College offers a wide variety of degree programs and certificates in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Forensic Science, and Security Studies as well as special programs, organizations, and events.

Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS)

The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility is a willed-body donor center that is recognized by the Texas Anatomical Board. We are dedicated to providing research opportunities for local, national and international investigators pursuing research that benefits forensic science, law enforcement, as well as the broader scientific community. Resources available for research include a secure 2-acre outdoor decomposition facility for field work and taphonomic research, a diverse skeletal collection, and a BSL-2 certified laboratory for biological sample preparation.

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