YSU recognized for helping FBI with ground penetrating radar
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Youngstown State University’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology, and Environmental Science will receive the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award on Tuesday morning at the FBI field office in Boardman.
The award recognizes YSU for assisting the FBI Evidence Response Team in several recent criminal investigations.
YSU was awarded for assisting the FBI ERT using Ground Penetrating Radar equipment. This geophysical locating method helps capture images below the surface in a minimally invasive way in three recent criminal investigations.
While YSU has GPR equipment, it is not readily available at the FBI Cleveland. The department has also assisted sheriff’s departments in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Van Wert counties in crime investigations, said Jeff Dick, professor of Geology.
“This is an important award for us,” said Dick. “The academic mission of our program is focused on providing students with exciting real-world applications of Geology. Our work with the FBI is directly reflective of that mission.”
Dick said the award is related to a more extensive research program in YSU’s Geology program that focuses on simulated clandestine burials. Dick said the research has two objectives: to improve the understanding of human decomposition in shallow graves and to use the burial field as a site to educate students and train law enforcement officials on the use of geophysics in forensic geology.
The research involves burying hogs in various geological and forensic situations and monitoring their decomposition using non-intrusive geophysical methods. Dick said hogs are logical substitutes for humans for various physiological reasons. The research site is located on private property in rural Columbiana County.
Gregory Nelsen, special agent in charge, FBI Cleveland Division, and Corey Taylor, supervisory senior resident agent, FBI Youngstown, will present the award to Dick and Tom Jordan, YSU adjunct professors of Geology.
The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, established in 1990, recognizes significant contributions in assisting law enforcement in its mission to educate about and prevent violent crime in the community.
The research, which is an outgrowth of a project conceptualized by Jordan while serving as research faculty at the University at Buffalo, also includes Susan Clutter, associate professor of Forensic Science; Joe Sanson, associate professor of Engineering Technology; and Diana Alexander, adjunct faculty of Applied Geology. Also involved are graduate students Christopher McFarland, Tori Blandine, and Enas Selim, and undergraduate students Victoria Dilliott and Keivunia Wallace.
The team utilizes geophysical instruments donated by THG Geophysics in Murrysville, PA., and equipment funds provided by the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
“YSU has recently compiled an impressive collection of really cool, state-of-the-art near surface geophysical devices and data processing software that is especially well suited for forensic investigations,” Jordan said.