UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jason W. Brooks, associate clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences at Penn State, has been named director of the Forensic Science program in the Eberly College of Science’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, effective Sept. 14.
Brooks has advanced training in forensic pathology and crime scene analysis, and he routinely assists law enforcement with animal cruelty investigations as a veterinary pathologist by performing forensic autopsies on a wide range of animal crimes victims. He is a board-certified veterinary pathologist and diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, serves on the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association’s Board of Directors, and is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the Academy Standards Board Wildlife Forensics Consensus Body.
Brooks provides instruction to state and local police officers on how to conduct animal crimes investigations and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in pathology and forensic science. His research is focused on the estimation of the postmortem interval and the pathology of gunshot wounds. He also is the editor and a contributing author of the recent textbook “Veterinary Forensic Pathology.”
“The Forensic Science program at Penn State has a long history of success and a strong reputation for producing well-rounded and highly qualified graduates who are ready to successfully perform in the workplace,” Brooks said. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with such talented faculty and capable students, and to see what the future holds for us. I hope to bring a new dimension to the group and contribute my expertise in medicine and veterinary forensic pathology, creating some interdisciplinary bridges and forging new collaborations in the spirit of the One Health Initiative.”
Brooks earned his bachelor of science degree in biology/pre-veterinary medicine from Juniata College in 1996, his veterinary medical doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000, and his doctor of philosophy degree from Penn State in 2010. He completed his residency in veterinary pathology at Penn State in 2007 and then joined the faculty of the College of Agricultural Sciences as an assistant clinical professor at the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (ADL) in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. He currently serves as head of the ADL’s pathology/histology section and parasitology section and oversees the residency training program.