 "Photo: Photo Services")
The current director of the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va. was named the new director of the UCO Forensic Science Institute Feb. 27 in Evans Hall.
Dr. Dwight Adams, UCO biology alumnus '77, will begin his new job July 1 after a 23-year career with the FBI. Adams has served as the laboratory's director since 2002.
"Not only will Dr. Adams bring instant international recognition to our Forensics Institute, but he also will bring a real passion for advances in forensic science," said UCO President Dr. W. Roger Webb. "There's no doubt that his deep experience and his impact as a leader will help us build upon our forensic science curriculum."
Dr. David von Minden, associate professor of chemistry, said Adams' leadership will enhance the reputation of the school. He said Adams will bring good contacts and a network of other leaders in the field.
"He can only improve the state of the academic programs," von Minden said.
Charlie Johnson, UCO News Bureau director, said UCO is in the planning stages for the $5.7 million institute that will be built across Second Street from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Forensics Laboratory, which is currently under construction.
Construction is scheduled to begin on UCO's Forensic Science Institute in November or December, Johnson said.
Adams developed the Bioforensics Analysis Center in association with the Department of Homeland Security to help the FBI in terrorism cases involving weapons of mass destruction, Johnson said.
To provide the United States with intelligence, Adams created the Terrorist Explosives Device Analytical Center to analyze improvised explosive devices coming out of countries all over the world, especially Iraq and Afghanistan, Johnson said.
Von Minden said around 175 undergraduates and 50 graduate students are in the forensic science program, a program UCO has had for more than 30 years.
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