Dr. Paul B. Ferrara Scholarship in Forensic Science

Dr. Paul Benjamin Ferrara (1942-2011) served as the director of the Virginia Department of Forensic Science and dedicated 33 years to improving public safety, most notably by pioneering the use of DNA technology. In 1989, under his leadership, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the first state laboratory capable of performing DNA fingerprinting. In addition to his directorship of the Department of Forensic Science, Dr. Ferrara was a professor at VCU. Through his passion for teaching and research, as well as his commitment to developing a nationally-recognized Forensic Science Program at VCU, the program officially became a department in 2001. Established by his family and friends, this scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to an outstanding second-year graduate student in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences who has demonstrated forensic science research or service contributions which have impacted the field, a specific forensic science laboratory, or forensic science professionals.