SUNO students to intern at coroner’s office

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

At the start of the 2016 spring semester, Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO) is offering students in their forensic science program the opportunity to intern at the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office with Dr. Jeffrey Rouse.

SUNO, a historically Black college, first offered forensic science as a major in 2013 in an effort to attract more minority students to a field lacking in diversity. African Americans only make up Eight percent of forensic science program graduates across the country. SUNO currently is one of just four historically Black colleges in the country to offer such a program and the only university in Louisiana to do so. Loyola New Orleans offers a degree in forensic chemistry, which is only one part of forensic science (which covers everything from fingerprints to firearms to questioned documents to drugs and toxicology).

SUNO’s forensic science students have always needed to complete an internship before graduating. This semester will be the first where they have an opportunity to intern with the coroner’s office. Dr. Pamela Marshall, director of SUNO’s forensic science program, said she and Dr. Rouse began conversations about a partnership in fall 2015. They discovered they were on the same page and quickly began plans to implement the internship by spring semester.

In January, three SUNO students that Dr. Marshall describes as “the cream of the crop” will work with Dr. Rouse, gaining experience at crime scenes and autopsies, while receiving valuable networking connections from the coroner’s office.

“It will be a full collaborative effort with his office,” said Dr. Marshall.

Dr. Rouse also expressed excitement about the new partnership with Southern University of New Orleans.

“Much of my time as coroner has been spent responding to the demands of the present while cleaning up the past. As we move into our new facility, I have more opportunity to focus on the future and serve the larger community,” Dr. Rouse said. “SUNO forensic science students…immerse themselves in our daily operations and get valuable real=world experience. This way we can help educate our next generation of forensic scientists right here in New Orleans and the busiest coroner’s office in Louisiana gets additional resources at no cost to taxpayers.”

Aside from gaining hands-on training, students will have the opportunity to better determine where they fit in the field of forensic science before graduating and entering the workforce.

In just the short time since its inception, 75 students have entered the forensic science program at SUNO. Dr Marshall said that in a world where many African Americans still face injustice at the hands of the police and judicial system, it’s important to encourage African Americans to pursue careers in criminal justice.

“We won’t see a change in the criminal justice system until we flood it with African Americans,” Dr. Marshall said.

In an uncertain economy, forensic science is also a field that students where students can likely find consistent work. And it’s not a field where the need will disappear.

“There will always be people committing crimes, so these students will always be able to find a job,” said Dr. Marshall. “This is one of the growing fields cross the country.”

This article originally published in the January 18, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.