Forensic Science Program鈥檚 Upcoming Expansion
rendering of future FRSC lab in new building
Construction on 暗网禁区Chicago’s newest academic building, 1144 West Loyola Ave, is well underway. The building will house the rapidly-growing Forensic Science Program, along with the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. The Forensic Science Program started in 2004 with a single student and has grown to over 300 majors registered for Fall 2026 semester. The program’s growth has prompted the need for expanded facilities and this building delivers.
[Rendering by Perkins & Will of the Drug Chemistry & Toxicology Instrumentation Lab.]
As an interdisciplinary program, Forensic Science has some dedicated facilities but relies heavily on shared spaces in the Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biology Departments. The new building will provide over 6800 square feet of forensic science laboratory space – nearly double the current allotment. This includes all-new space for research, a computing center, and a pattern evidence lab dedicated to latent prints, firearms and toolmarks, and questioned document examination. The computing center will expand students access to the specific software systems used in forensic science labs to assist in their coursework and prepare them for employment in the field. The building design also includes larger, dedicated teaching labs for drug chemistry, toxicology, forensic biology, and forensic DNA. The expanded space and dedicated labs are expected to expand research opportunities and allow for greater collaboration with internal and external partners.
[Rendering by Perkins & Will of the Forensic Science Computing Center, which looks into the Forensic Science Research Lab]
The computing center will contain software specific to the subdisciplines of forensic science, such as GeneMapper ID-X from ThermoFisher Scientific and TopMatch Analysis Software from Cadre Forensics.
One of the core tenants of the forensic science program is to provide students a strong foundation in the physical and natural sciences, and the program works closely with operational laboratories and its advisory board to ensure the curriculum is suited to the field. Forensic science employers regularly report good laboratory skills are especially important for new graduates. The new facilities will allow us to provide more student access to forensic instrumentation in the forensic science courses, so graduates are prepared for employment in forensic science agencies and other scientific disciplines.
Forensic Science Program Director James DeFrancesco's sentiments are indicative of the excitement and anticipation the program holds for the new building.
“The building represents a new and exciting chapter in the history of the Loyola Forensic Science Program.鈥� We have experienced tremendous growth over the years, and the new spaces will give our students unprecedented access to state-of-the-art labs and instrumentation.鈥� This will boost the prospects of our graduates for jobs and serve to attract outstanding students to the program throughout the country.”
[Floor Plan by Perkins & Will of the 4th floor of 1144 West Loyola Ave.]
The Forensic Science Program is independently accredited by the (FEPAC) since 2010. The Loyola program is currently preparing their self-study as part of their 2026 reaccreditation.