IVCC professor brings real cases into the classroom

Illinois Valley Community College Professor Matthew Johll’s students learn how science can impact far beyond the classroom, reaching courtrooms across the U.S. and the U.K., according to an IVCC news release.

When he started teaching, Johll developed a successful classroom formula that changed the entire chemistry of the room, according to the release. He introduced forensic crime-solving techniques to illustrate scientific principles, and a textbook he authored on the subject got noticed and earned him invitations to apply his scientific knowledge to real crimes.

According to the release, Johll, who teaches chemistry and forensic science at IVCC, hopes his lessons show students that science is not just something confined to microscopes and test tubes, but is practical and life-changing.

“I am always looking for applications – how we can use this or that principle. What better way to learn science than in the context of solving cases and righting wrongs?” he said in a news release.

Over the past year, Johll’s research has helped unravel a 30-year-old mystery in La Salle County, the identification of Paula Ann Lundgren, according to the release.

Johll and IVCC chemistry and criminal justice students proposed a method that had not yet been tried, genetic genealogy, and paid for the DNA analyses that led investigators to Lundgren’s family.

“If we were able to give her a name, we would restore that humanity to her,” Johll said. ”And my students at the time learned firsthand how the science they learn here can be put to use outside the classroom. And I know we helped in a small but critical part.”

Three criminal cases in England have also called on Johll to review the forensics. Most recently, an international panel of medical and scientific experts is challenging evidence that led to the conviction of Lucy Letby, a neonatal nurse linked to the deaths of several babies, according to the release.

Johll recently traveled to England to film a documentary about the case. “Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?” can now be viewed on YouTube and a book is expected to be published later this year.

“It is not just about freeing Lucy, it is about reforming the system,” he said. “When science is done properly, it can prevent a lot of errors. People cannot get a fair trial if the evidence is not fairly evaluated.”