Noted Forensics Researcher Joins Faculty

11.18.2009

LONGMEADOW, Mass.—Yongyan Mou, PhD, of Longmeadow has recently been appointed assistant professor of forensic science at Bay Path College. As a faculty member, Dr. Mou will teach courses related to the forensics programs at Bay Path. Previously, Mou served as a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry at Lamar University in Texas, conducting forensic science and forensic chemistry research.

“We are delighted that Dr. Mou has joined the faculty at Bay Path College,” said Gina M. Semprebon, PhD, chair of science and mathematics at Bay Path. “She has demonstrated herself as an emerging leader in the field of forensic chemistry, and she serves as a tremendous resource to our students.”

Following receipt of her doctorate in analytical chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mou joined Lamar University in 2006 as a post-doctoral fellow. At Lamar, her worked focused on the detection of recently handled explosives through fingerprint analysis, analyzing gun shot residue to determine shooting distances and cartridge types, and discrimination of inks on questioned documents. As a post-doc, her research has been published in such scientific journals as the Journal of Forensic Sciences and Journal of Applied Physics.

In addition to the her research at Lamar, Mou’s graduate research related to analytical chemistry and applied chemistry has been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Chemistry of Materials, among other journals. Mou and her colleagues also received a patent from the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China for their method for the synthesis of metal nanotubes.

Today, Mou’s research focuses primarily on the investigation and analysis of physical evidences possibly linked to crime scenes. As a professor at Bay Path, she continues to conduct research on gun shot residue, inks on questioned documents, and drugs in hair. “It is my full intention to continue with the direction of my research, and identify new projects, which align with my commitment to using research as a teaching tool and involving students in the application of my research to the real world,” said Mou.