Student Achievements

BS FTC Fall 2023- Spring 2026 Enrollment and Graduation data

The FTC program has maintained a strong student enrollment, with 65 full-time students enrolled in 2025–26. Over the past three academic years, annual enrollment counts totaled 208, while the program awarded 25 degrees. Graduations increased from 7 in 2024–25 to 10 in 2025–26, highlighting the program’s continued success in preparing students for careers in forensic and toxicological chemistry.

Enrollment & Graduates - a three-year view of program size and annual completions. Total Enrollment 2025-26 (65). Graduates 2025-26 (10). Full-Time Students Enrolled: 2023-24 - 73, 2024-25 - 70, 2025-26 - 65. Graduates - Number reported each academic year: 2023-24 - 8, 2024-25 - 7, 2025-26 - 10. Three-Year Total: 208 student-enrollment counts across years 25 gradutes.

BS FTC: Fall 2023-Spring 2026 Alumni Survey

The FTC program’s post-graduation survey highlights positive career and educational outcomes among its graduates. Over the past three academic years, reported outcomes included 9 graduates receiving job offers and 5 being admitted to advanced degree programs. While some graduates could not be reached or did not respond to the survey, these results demonstrate the program’s role in preparing students for professional careers and continued education in forensic and toxicological chemistry and related fields.

Graduate Outcomes 3 Academic Years Post-Graduation Survey - Reported outcomes following graduation. 2025-26: 10 graduates reported. Job offers - 3, Admitted to an advanced degree program - 1, Unreachable/did not respond - 3. 2024-25: 10 graduates reported. Job offers - 4, Admitted to an advanced degree program - 2, Unreachable/did not respond - 0, 2023-24: 10 graduates reported. Job offers - 2, Admitted to an advanced degree program - 2, Unreachable/did not respond - 3. How to read these figures: Counts are reproduced as provided. Outcome categories may not account for every graduate: no percentages are inferred.

BS FTC: Fall 2023- Spring 2026 Internship & Capstone Research Projects

The FTC program offers students hands-on experience through internships and capstone research projects in forensic science, analytical chemistry, and toxicology. From 2023 to 2026, students engaged in 20 experiential learning opportunities with forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies, and WCU research facilities, developing practical laboratory skills using advanced techniques such as GC-MS and LC-MS/MS to prepare for careers or graduate study.

Experiential Learning 2023-2026 Internships & Research Projects - Student experiences across forensic, analytical, and toxicology settings. 2025-26: Internship Screening for Equine Performance Enhancing Drugs in Blood by LC-MS/MS (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship Validation of cocaine and opiate methods in whole blood using GC-MS (Philadelphia MEO, Toxicology Lab). Internship Forensic Perspectives on Drug-Related Deaths in Chester County: Toxicology, Autopsy, and Death Investigation Findings (Chester County Coroner's Office). Internship EPO ELISA screen (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship Screening of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in equine plasma/serum by GC-MS/MS (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Research GC-MS method for the determination of fentanyl and its cutting agents in whole blood (WCU/Department of Chemistry/Toxicology Lab). Research Development of an LC-MS/MS method for the detection and quantification of fentanyl cutting agents in whole human blood (WCU/Department of Chemistry/Toxicology Lab). Research Method development for the simultaneous determination of fentanyl and its cutting agents in whole blood using LC-MS/MS (WCU/Department of Chemistry/Toxicology Lab).

2024-25 Research LC-MS/MS method for the determination of selected antidepressants and antipsychotics in whole blood (WCU/Department of Chemistry/Toxicology Lab). Internship Quantitative Determination of Cocaine and Its Metabolites in Biological Matrices Using LC-MS/MS (NMS). Internship Protein Precipitate analysis of Plasma and Serum Samples Via LC-MS/MS in Toxicology Laboratory (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship Substance Detection via ELISA in a Toxicology Laboratory (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Research LC-MS/MS method for the determination of selected antidepressants and antipsychotics in whole blood (WCU/Department of Chemistry/Toxicology Lab). Internship Application of Liquid-Liquid Extraction for Substance Detection in a Toxicological Laboratory (PA Equine Toxicology Lab).

2023-24 Internship Internship Report (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship The Identification of Unkowns Using Analytical Chemistry Techniques (Gelest Inc.). Internship LC-QQQ Quantitative Analysis of Delta-9-THC in Blood Utilizing Solid Phase Extraction (NJ State Police). Internship Analysis of Uring using a Sciex 6500 LC-MS/MS (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship Liquid-Liquid Extraction for the Detection of Specified Substances in a Toxicology Laboratory (PA Equine Toxicology Lab). Internship Detection of Several Drugs in Equine Uring on LC-MS/MS in a Toxicology Laboratory (PA Equine Toxicology Lab).

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Student Award Winners 2026

Chemistry Student Awards

Chemistry Student Awards 2026

Pharmaceutical Product Development Student Awards

Pharmaceutical Product Development Student Awards

ACS Scholastic Achievement Award

Paige Ickes, Jordan Kautzsch

 

AIC Chemistry Award

Christopher Brunozzi

 

AIC Biochemistry Award

Megan St. Jean, Jillian Snyder, Lisa Travis

 

ACS Organic Chemistry Award

Samuel Miller

ACS Analytical Chemistry Award

Paige Ickes

 

ACS Physical Chemistry Award

Katherine Drummond

 

ACS Inorganic Chemistry Award

Jacob Gallahan

Reid-Fenton Award

Revathi Variar and Caitlynn Szarko

 

Chemistry Minor Award

Sean Donovan and Abigail Edelman

 

FTC students: 2021- 2026 Capstone Chemistry Seminar Presentation Topics

  • Kratom
  • The chemistry of a new adulterant found in forensic samples: Metonitazene
  • Effects and pathways on human tissue by xylazine
  • Performance of fentanyl test wipes based on eosin Y dye
  • Development of Separation Method of Tricyclic Antidepressants and Antipsychotics Using LC- MS/MS
  • Medetomidine as an Emerging Adulterant: Investigating its Role in the Fentanyl-Contaminated Drug Supply
  • LC/QQQ Quantitative Analysis of Delta-9THC in Blood Utilizing Solid Phase Extraction
  • Tianeptine, New Drug with Dangerously High Potential for Abuse
  • Gas Chromatography-Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (GC-VUV) Analysis of Nitazene
  • Tianeptine, an Antidepressant with Opioid Agonist Effects
  • New Biomarker for Monitoring Alcohol Abstinence: Phosphatidylethanol
  • Toxicity of Vaping Vitamin E Acetate and Tetrahydrocannabinol Oil
  • Development and Validation of a HS-GC-FID Method for Blood-Alcohol Analysis
  • Identification of new designer benzodiazepines in illicit drug market: Bromazolam
  • Biomarkers of Air Pollution in Post-Mortem Cellular Observation
  • Analytical Characterization of Novel Benzodiazepines
  • Detection of drugs of abuse through Wastewater Analysis
  • N-Desethyl Isotonitazene: A Newly Identified Novel Psychoactive Substance in the United States
  • The Identification of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Trafficking
  • The Production of Purine-Free Beer
  • Study and synthesis of diarylnornornadiene and the progress towards a viable solar energy storage
  • The Emergence & Analytical Challenges of Designer Benzodiazepines
  • Fentanyl Analogs: Synthesis, Metabolism, and the Rising Threat to Society
  • Emerging Methods for the Analysis of Phenethylamines
  • The Toxicology of Kratom
  • Transdermal Fentanyl: Uses in Modern Medicine
  • The Structure-Activity Relationship of the Psychedelic Drug LSD
  • The chemistry of new synthetic cannabinoids: AD-18, 5F-MDA-19 and pentyl MDA-19
  • Application of Thermal Desorption Sample Introduction for Trace Analysis of Volatiles and Semi-volatiles
  • Development and Validation of a GC-QQQ Method for Smokeless Powder Additives
  • The chemistry of commercially available drug tests: cannabis
  • Identification of Volatile components in the Headspace of Pharmaceutical-grade Fentanyl
  • HPLC-PDA method for the determination of cannabinoids profile in cannabis hemp edibles
  • Synthesis of a PROTAC for the degradation of LRRK2
Chemistry Graduation 2024 1
Chemistry Graduation 2024 1
Chemistry Graduation 2024 1