Forensic Entomologist - Forensic Entomologists in The USA Today

Forensic Entomologists in The USA Today

There are several different occupations for forensic entomologists since the field itself is still so very young. Many state universities employ a number of entomologists to teach. Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin (former president of the North American Forensic Entomology Association) is an assistant professor for Texas A&M University's entomology department. His responsibilities as an instructor include teaching, maintaining a research program, advising, and working with students who have an interest in working in the field of forensics. Dr. Tomberlin says that, in his spare time, he works with law enforcement agencies and conducts workshops to teach detectives, crime scene investigators, and others on the use of insects in crime scene investigation (CSI). He serves as a consultant in forensic investigations and can even be called upon at times to investigate the presence of insect evidence at crime scenes to determine PMI as discussed earlier. Dr. Tomberlin is most proud of his work with Dr. John Wallace (of Millersville University) in initiating the first conference on forensic entomology to be held in North America. First held in Las Vegas, Nevada, about 50 people registered for the conference which is now in its 6th year and has paved the way for the development of the North American Forensic Entomology Association. The conference has since gone from an annual meeting to the formation of an official society for those interested in the field of forensics. He had the luxury to serve as the NAFEA's first president and was later succeeded by Dr. Wallace.

Although he’s been working in the field for a number of years and has experienced the surge of new developments and advances within forensic entomology, Dr. Tomberlin believes that there is still a great deal more progress to be made in the near future. The urban and stored product entomology arenas are the areas, in his opinion, with the most potential for growth since they both impact the majority of the country in a way much closer to home. He also hopes for more recognition of these two areas and their contribution to the field of entomology. The wide variety of experiences and opportunities for employment help to make forensic entomology among the most diverse careers to have developed among the scientific professions and it looks as though at this rate it will continue to be for a number of years.

A fellow educator and member of the NAFEA, Dr. M. Eric Benbow, currently Assistant Professor of Entomology at Michigan State University, provided his own perspective on his career as well. Dr. Benbow's own line of work involves his giving seminars and lectures that have to do with forensic entomology, routinely doing research involving both case and laboratory experiments, and serving on graduate student committees. Previously, he has done research that has involved understanding life history characteristics, larval growth rates, and the environmental factors that influence both. When asked if there was anything in his career of which he was especially proud, Dr. Benbow's response was rather sentimental. The first accomplishment he shared was his writing of a $2 million grant to study the ecology of an infectious disease and his role as an expert witness for a contested case hearing for surface water issues in the Hawaiian Islands. Second on his list of accomplishments was his writing of numerous letters of support and recommendation for students that have gone on to graduate, medical, and law school. Dr. Benbow's pride in his ability to impact the lives of his students becomes obvious when he later stated that being able to interact with students and having the freedom to pursue research that interests him is the most enjoyable part of his job.

Forensic Entomologists' roles in academic settings provides them with opportunities to exploit their passions for teaching, discovery, and invention. Many spend their careers making great contributions to their field, colleagues, and a number of students fortunate to have such dedicated instructors. It is this commitment to continuing the education of their students that not only proves rewarding for these teachers, but also ensures that there will be others to take over their line of work in the still developing future of forensic entomology.