Ryan Kimbirauskas found the perfect mix for his studies within MSU’s Department of Entomology. A former employee of the state’s Department of Natural Resources, he wanted to work with some aspect of fisheries and entomology. After beginning his studies at MSU, he began shadowing Dr. Merritt and assisting him with his forensic investigations. Merritt noted his persistence and invited him to become one of his doctoral students in aquatic entomology as well as an instructor for the forensic entomology course. “While forensic entomology isn’t likely to be a full-time job,” Kimbirauskas notes, “it’s exciting to be called to collect crime evidence and potentially add one more clue to the crime’s solution.

Forensics Course
ENT 401, sec. 730 – ENT 890, sec. 730

MSU’s online forensics course — who said an insect couldn’t solve a crime?

Scouring a crime scene for evidence in the form of maggots and flies isn’t an activity that only applies to the latest episode of “CSI.” It’s a science, and a field that’s growing in importance. Michigan State University has the nation’s oldest and largest forensic science program, and it is one of only two universities in the United States to offer an online course in forensic entomology.

Taught by Richard Merritt, chairperson of entomology, and doctoral student Ryan Kimbirauskas, two of the nation’s 12 board certified forensic entomologists, the online course, which began in January 2006, teaches the various ways insects can and have been used as evidence in trials.    

Together, Merritt and Kimbirauskas have more than 25 years of professional experience in the field and have appeared in court as expert witnesses, including trials and cases that have appeared on Court TV and The Discovery Channel’s New Detectives.  

“There are very few forensic entomology courses in general,” Kimbirauskas said. “In this course we use actual cases to emphasize the major points behind the science and application of forensic entomology.”

Insects normally colonize a body within minutes to hours of death. By looking at the type of insects present and determining their stage of development, experts can offer investigators a good estimate of when the body became host to the insects, and therefore when death may have occurred.

The course, entitled “Forensic Entomology: The Role of Insects in Crime Scene Investigations,” lets students follow the same steps a forensic entomologist would take while collecting and analyzing insect evidence.

Armed with information presented in lectures, students walk through a virtual crime scene where a murder has occurred and collect evidence to estimate when the victim was murdered. Then students construct a report detailing what they’ve uncovered for their “client.”

The course is open to undergraduates, graduate students and others who may be interested in learning the role of insects in crime scene investigations. Prior knowledge of insects is not necessary and there are no prerequisites for enrollment. “We designed this course to satisfy both the general interest crowd and those pursuing a career in forensic science.  We have also enrolled teachers, professors, detectives, lawyers, medical entomologists and international researchers,” Kimbirauskas said.

Learn more      
-   Course flyer (pdf)
-   Course syllabus (pdf)
-   How to enroll
-   Get on the e-mail list for an instructional dvd – send an email indicating your interest to: forensic@msu.edu.

For more information about the course, Email forensic@msu.edu.