RUNNING, PHILLY STYLE - Bloomsburg University

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
aroundTHEquad
Most people who have seen an episode of
CSI know that information is never
deleted in the age of digital media.
You can imagine it, a computer forensics
specialist working with a cell phone,
pulling and analyzing the photos and information to
assist with a police investigation.
This is one of the responsibilities Scott Inch and John
Riley, professors of mathematics, computer science and
statistics, teach their students in BU’s computer forensics
program. BU is just one of a few universities in the
country, and the only university in the Pennsylvania
State System of Higher Education, that offer a bachelor’s
degree in the field.
Begun in 2006, computer forensics is a new degree
option for BU undergraduates and Inch was pivotal in
creating the program. In a brainstorming session for
ideas on new courses, a suggestion was proposed to
create a class with material based on what one might
see on an investigation television show. Inch volunteered
to research the topic and attended training.
He found computer forensics was something that he
not only became interested in, but knew the students
would like as well.
Computer forensics has an “extraordinarily great
amount of real world application,” says Inch. “Although
it is time consuming, it is also a very hands-on field
where nothing ever stays the same.”
Although it is not a requirement, many students in
the program, like Steven Budd, complete an internship.
Budd, who is from Harrisburg, worked with the Briar
Creek Township Police in summer 2009. He shadowed
a police officer and worked on a case where he extracted
evidence from devices.
“Part of what we teach students is ensuring data is
intact,” says Riley. “Laws have not caught up with
technology to accommodate digital evidence. All this
stuff is happening in the field as we build a curriculum
around it.”
According to Inch, BU has been ahead of the game
and employers are now starting to realize they can hire
graduates with a degree specific to computer forensics.
Digital Detectives
COMPUTER FORENSICS
Scott Inch, left, and John Riley, professors of
mathematics, computer science and statistics,
teach students in BU’s computer forensics program.
With a growing demand for knowledgeable specialists,
the computer forensics program is another example
of BU’s role in educating professionals for careers that
are in great demand. •
SPRING 2010
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PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER