Physics & Astrophysics

I graduated with BSc(Hons) in physics from Edinburgh University in 1976 and DPhil from the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University in 1979. My doctoral work there utilised ENDOR spectroscopy to study atomic magnetism in solids. I then worked for seven years at Unilever Research, Port Sunlight Laboratory, in the area of x-ray scattering (both small and wide angle) from a wide range of materials from minerals to micellar systems.

A transition back to academic work followed through a lectureship in physics at Staffordshire University where I became head of physics in 1995, then head of natural sciences (chemistry, geology and physics) in 1998. In this role I led the initial development of forensic science degrees at Staffordshire.

In 2001 I joined the academic staff at Keele where I was director of undergraduate studies in physics before committing myself principally to forensic science from 2004. My textbook “Essential Mathematics and Statistics for Forensic Science” was published in 2010. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Member of the Forensic Science Society.

My core areas of expertise which lie at the interface between physics and chemistry, are crystallography, materials characterisation, diffraction and spectroscopy, computational physics and simulation.  In the recent past I have worked on cement systems though my current interests now focus on the chemical analytical characterisation of forensic evidence and the subsequent application of multivariate statistics to discriminate and individualise forensic materials.

The results of work on UV-vis spectroscopy of inks has been published and, more recently, methods have been developed for the interpretation of in-situ luminescence spectroscopy in the discrimination of black ballpoint pen ink-lines on paper. I have expertise and broad interests in the physico-chemical analysis of forensic materials. I am a member of the EPSAM research institute.

• CHE-00033 Crime, Science and Investigation (FY elective) (module leader)

Level 1

• CHE-10039 Forensic Science Principles (module leader)
• CHE-10037 Forensic Analysis
• CHE-10040 Crime, Science and Investigation (Elective) (module leader)
• EDU-10057 Properties of Materials (module leader)

Level2

• CHE-20010 Criminalistic Methods (module leader)
• CHE-20019 Crime, Science and Investigation (Elective (module leader)

Level 3

• CHE-30010 Forensic Science Team Project
• CHE-30012 Trace Evidence Analysis and Evaluation
• CHE-30028 Interpretation, Presentation and Evaluation of Evidence (module leader)

Level 4

• EDU-40053 Molecular Theory