Science Sleuth Scoops National Award

Science sleuth Stewart Higham, is the first person to receive a new national award from the Forensic Science Society.

Stewart not only achieved an MSc distinction in Digital Forensics, he scooped the Forensic Science Society Olympus Prize 2008 - a new national award recognising achievements of the most commendable students on recognised forensic science programmes where their overall mark has exceeded 65%.

Digital forensics Stewart said: 'It has also been suggested that one of the main factors leading to me winning the Olympus Prize is that I have not come from an (academic) computing background, but I still gained an MSc with distinction in Digital Forensics, which is essentially a computer-related degree.'

Stewart first came to the university in 2004 straight from Hartlepool Sixth Form College after achieving two A-levels in Biology and Psychology, and two AS-levels in Chemistry and Maths.

Choosing these subjects was due to an early interest in forensics which gave him the platform he needed to gain a BSc (Hons) in Crime Scene Science in 2007 at Teesside. He said: 'The MSc Digital Forensics course was simply everything I was hoping for. And was a natural choice, combining my background in forensics, gained from the BSc, and my love of computers and keen interest in technology.'

'In my mind, it was a truly excellent experience. I feel like I should be saying that I worked hard and it was a long and hard road, or something to that extent, but that to me implies that it was a chore - something negative and not enjoyable. But this course wasn't at all.'

PhD study The 22 year old martial arts expert and rock music fan, is now hoping to continue on to PhD study. Speaking about his research aims he said:

'I propose that this research will expand upon the research that I carried out during the research project from my MSc degree and will be concerned with a specific area of online fraud. A decision for this is pending, but I have completed an initial draft proposal for the research and am awaiting a meeting with those potentially involved, so fingers crossed!'

'This research, I feel, will be highly beneficial to corporations existing online, specifically to banks and building societies existing both online and in the high street.'

Stewart continues to live in Hartlepool where he was born and raised and travelled to and from daily while studying. He added: 'My parents, James and Paula, are indeed very proud at not only obtaining my MSc, but also winning a national award, as are the rest of the family - I think they were as shocked as I was.'

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