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Nov 4, 2009 10:00 pm US/Central
The 'CSI Factor' Influencing Female UNT Students
DENTON (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
You could call it the CSI Factor. Students, more than ever before, are enrolling in criminal justice and forensic science programs thanks to the popularity of investigative crime television shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
A University of North Texas (UNT) professor, who teaches those classes, thinks the show has left a big impression on one group in particular -- women.
Julia Wayland is a Criminal Justice Major at the UNT in Denton. One of her classes, CJUS 4390, is teaching the 29-year-old how to examine blood spatter patterns and lift footprints that are invisible to the naked eye.
When she graduates in December, Wayland plans to investigate job leads in crime scene investigations.
Wayland says she likes the thought of doing something challenging and different every day.
During one class, students learned how to take impressions of tire treads. Wayland sprayed the "suspect tire" with silicon. Another student drove the car tire over a long piece of paper. Then, the students brushed magnetic powder over the paper and voila; the tire tread appears.
"If you didn't know what the car was, you'd be able to go to data bases and determine by the width and tread pattern. You could narrow your search down a little bit," Wayland said.
UNT professor Dr. Edward Hueske is a 23 year Government Crime Lab expert who has taught professionals in law enforcement. But, his college students have no prior training. "It's exciting," he said. "They're fun to be around and to watch them learn and see the lights go off in their brains."
Most recently Dr. Hueske has discovered a growing trend among his students. Most of the students in his classes are now women. "It's about 60/40, female to male," Dr. Hueske explained. "Thanks to the television shows, it appears to be an attractive job now."
The TV shows have strong female characters and Dr. Hueske says that's a good thing. Actress Melina Kanakaredes, who plays Stella Bonasera in CSI: New York, has a strong personality with a reputation as a determined crime solver.
In CSI: Miami, actress Emily Proctor plays Calleigh Duquesne, a ballistics specialist. As a petite blonde, Proctor's character could lead others to underestimate her. But, the show reveals she's a dedicated scientist and plays off her intellectual prowess.
Women, Dr. Hueske has already concluded, are better suited for crime scene investigations. "Because they read instructions… unlike males. And, they're detail oriented," he said. "A lot of guys just want to bull their way through."
For Julia Wayland, crime scene investigation is already in her DNA. "I like solving puzzles and mysteries and stuff. I think it's a lot of fun because you never know what you're going to get."
If Dr. Hueske is correct, when it comes to crime scene investigations, what society will get is more of a woman's mind.
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