The science of justice: Georgia Southern’s new Center for Forensic Sciences puts unique expertise at investigators’ fingertips

The newly established Center for Forensic Sciences (CFS) in Georgia Southern’s College of Science and Mathematics is primed to make the University’s experts available to an expanded range of law enforcement agencies across the Southeast. The Center will bring faculty from all corners of the University together to assist law enforcement agencies while giving students real-world experience as they work alongside investigators in the lab. 

Ed Mondor, Ph.D., the interim director of the CFS, says that the multidisciplinary approach will be crucial to its success.

“The forensic sciences draw on a wide range of disciplines from anthropology to chemistry,” said Mondor. “Here at Georgia Southern, we’re bringing those fields together to tackle complex problems in a more unified way.”

As the only forensic entomologist in Georgia, Mondor has worked with both local and state investigators for almost 15 years to solve homicide cases using insect evidence. Now he is bringing together the full resources of the University so that investigators can quickly access specialized knowledge only an advanced research university can provide.

“The new Center opens up a lot of opportunities for collaboration since we’re no longer working independently,” said Mondor. “If a case requires a botanist, an anthropologist and an entomologist, we can bring those experts together to work on it simultaneously.”

Student involvement and education is an essential part of the Center’s mission. Mondor says the experiential learning students will get from working on cases will make them competitive for forensic careers.

“We want students to be ready for the challenges they’ll face in these fields,” Mondor said. “Working on real cases gives them experience that goes far beyond the classroom. It prepares them to make an immediate impact when they’re hired.”

Mondor’s ultimate goal is to showcase how Georgia Southern’s unique resources and cross-disciplinary expertise position it to tackle even the most complex cases. 

“I want Georgia Southern to be the first call law enforcement makes when they need help with a case,” said Mondor. “No matter the field, we have the expertise to get the job done.”