Fairmont State University has received $5,000 grant to support a one-week Forensic and Analytical Chemistry Technology (FACT) summer camp for approximately 20 West Virginia middle school students.

This award is made possible by the West Virginia Science and Research, a division of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC), and the West Virginia Research Challenge Fund.

The free day camp will be held on June 24-28, 2019. These students will have the chance to work with state-of-the-art technology and apply real-world forensic and chemistry-related techniques.

Students will also become familiar with forensic and chemistry technology, including Fairmont State’s newly purchased Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry instruments.

The camp will give students the chance to interact with faculty who are experts in their fields. Undergraduate students will also be aiding in instruction during the camp.

“We are excited that this grant will allow us to provide this hands-on Forensic Science and Chemistry camp free of charge to students in West Virginia,” stated Dr. Mark Flood, professor of Forensic Science. “Students who attend STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) out-of-school programs are better prepared to think critically, solve problems, and have a positive attitude toward STEM. This program offers a unique STEM experience that many students will not have access to during the academic year.”

 Camp application forms are available on the Fairmont State website at https://www.fairmontstate.edu/collegeofscitech/forensic-analytical-chemistry-fact-camp.

Please contact Dr. Mark Flood, Forensic Science program coordinator at 304-367-4309 or mark.flood@fairmontstate.edu for more information about the FACT camp or the Forensic Science program at Fairmont State University.