Students aspiring to become crime scene investigators and forensic scientists now have a better chance at landing their dream jobs.
An increasing need for forensic scientists, who examine, solve and prevent crimes, has led to a 21-percent rise of jobs in the profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
G.W. Hildebrand, Austin Community College professor and former Texas Ranger, said there is not a blanket process in dealing with a crime, which makes it difficult to find a job in forensic science.
"DNA is DNA. You can't argue with science," Hildebrand said. "The problem with forensic careers is that there is not an established venue for skills in that field."
Different law enforcement agencies, from the Department of Public Safety to city policy departments, provide their own detective teams, which may not produce definitive results because of a lack of uniformity in the profession, he said.
"There will be more careers in forensics when the industry collectively evolves into an industry-wide process. Until then, jobs won't be as abundant," Hildebrand said.
UT does not have a forensic science program, said Mike Raney, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, but that has not stopped a group of UT students from exercising their passion for crime investigation.
The Undergraduate Forensic Organization group brings in guest speakers who have experience in ballistic and fingerprint analysis and forensic toxicology.
Biochemistry senior Erick Arredondo said he joined the group because he is a fan of the television program "Crime Scene Investigation" and has always been fascinated by forensics.
"It's so interesting to me that it could be somebody's job to open cold cases and solve the crime using science," Arredondo said.
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