Published: May 05, 2007 12:13 am      

From IUS to CSI Academy, Iceland native is world class

Johann Eyvindsson first learned about a prestigious Knoxville, Tenn., forensic academy watching television.

But the 32-year-old Iceland native is quick to point out that it wasn’t the popular show “CSI.”

The show was “CSI Academy,” a documentary series that ran on the Discovery Channel. The shows chronicles the 10-week program at the National Forensic Academy, which is run by the University of Tennessee.

After seeing the show for the first time, Eyvindsson — who has never been a fan of the popular TV drama on the same subject — knew he wanted to attend, but also thought his chances were slim.

“I applied just to get it out of my system,” said Eyvindsson, who will graduate from IU Southeast on Monday. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get it out of my mind.”

It turns out he didn’t have to.

Nathan Lefebvre, forensic coordinator, called Eyvindsson at his Jeffersonville home in December to tell him the good news.

His wife, Eva, called it a “miracle.”

Eyvindsson — who had a letter of recommendation sent on his behalf by Iceland’s Minister of Justice — was the first international student accepted into a program that is already booked into 2008 with a constantly growing waiting list.

“We’re excited to have him,” Lefebvre said.

As timing would have it, the first day of the summer session fell on the same day as IU Southeast’s graduation. Johann, his wife Eva and three of their children — a fourth child is back in Iceland — moved to Knoxville today.

At the end of the 10 weeks, they will return to Iceland having completed precisely what they came to the U.S. to do.

Eyvindsson, a police officer in Iceland since January 2002, moved to the United States in the summer of 2005 to advance his study in Crime Scene Investigation and fire investigation.

“Iceland is so small we don’t have a lot of the educational opportunities you have in the U.S.,” he said.

The family from the small island nation of 300,000 northwest of Europe ended up settling in Jeffersonville in a house they bought from friends of theirs from back home.

“Having been here twice to a church convention — once in 2000 and once in 2004 — I had come to know some people here,” Eyvindsson said. “The area seemed like the best choice.”

Attending school full-time, Eyvindsson took every opportunity he could to attend workshops and training for forensics.

His seven-page resume lists training he’s completed in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, California and various locations around the state.

His resume also lists his various awards and honors, including an Academic Excellence Award in the fall of 2005. When he officially graduates on Monday — with nearly 1,000 other students at the New Albany campus — it will be with honors.

“He’s a great student, really ambitious,” said David Taylor, a biology professor at IUS who met Eyvindsson in his first year. “There is considerable pride on our part for what he’s been able to accomplish.”