MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia University’s growing expertise in biometrics research has drawn more attention from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the form of nearly $1 million worth of grants to further develop important evidence collection technologies and associated interactive training tools for FBI personnel, it was announced today.
The FBI has awarded $414,184 to Arun Ross, associate professor in the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources’ Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, to research ways to improve fingerprint analysis under a federal initiative known as the Friction Ridge Support Services Project.
A second FBI grant of $426,772 was awarded to Tina Moroose, teaching assistant professor in the Forensic and Investigative Science Program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, to research improvements in the way investigators collect human scent evidence.
Generally, biometrics refers to methods of recognizing humans based upon one or more physical or behavioral traits. WVU has developed extensive credentials in the biometrics research area.
LaRue Williams, WVU’s director of homeland security programs and Keith Morris, assistant director of Forensic and Investigative Science in the Eberly College are co-investigators on both projects.
Williams said her unit, in addition to managing both grant projects as the main FBI point of contact for WVU, will also design and develop an interactive learning tool for the FBI to use in training its personnel on fingerprint innovations.
Ross explained the WVU’s role in the “friction ridge” fingerprint project.
“The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of the features that can contribute to the distinctiveness of fingerprints across individuals from a statistical perspective,” he said. “This work will benefit the forensics and biometrics communities even as we seek to further the science of fingerprints.”
“Friction ridge impressions” is a term used to denote palmprints and fingerprints and the work of Ross, Morris and Williams will help experts better understand the role of individual fingerprint features in establishing the identity of an individual. The fingerprint project will define the quality and quantity of information in a friction ridge impression during analysis; expand on procedures to map, record and recognize fingerprint features; and assist in the development of standards for fingerprint images.
Moroose’s work will center on refining methods for capturing trace human epithelial cells for use in scent evidence collection. She explained that even the most meticulous criminals leave behind invisible trace scent evidence that is unique. Recent improved techniques have catapulted the use of the scent evidence to the forefront of major criminal investigations.
WVU has become a focal point for national biometric work. The University is the academic arm of the FBI’s Biometric Center of Excellence, provides biometrics research support to the FBI and its law enforcement and national security partners, and serves as the FBI liaison to the academic community of biometric researchers nationwide. Additionally, WVU is the founder and lead site for a National Science Foundation-supported center known as CITeR – an initiative that focuses on biometrics and related identification technology and systems.
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