One, two, three...seven e-mails sent out to various forensic scientists, many too busy to respond to me about an interview. Nerves about whether or not I would get the response I’m hoping for plague me as I wait the few days it takes to get responses. The few that have responded and accepted are polite and easy going in their responses, even sending me a little smiley face at the end of their messages. Their insight opened my eyes more to just how important their job can be. And how without them things could be different in the world.
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My first response was from an enthusiastic Doctor Kenton S. Wong, a Senior forensic scientist at Forensic Analytical Sciences, Inc in Hayward, California. Kenton was born and raised in California and was encouraged at a young age by his parents to set goals and standards and do his best to achieve them. Although forensic science wasn’t his first option as a career, he absolutely loves the job he has. Kenton has been working in this field for 25 years and has changed as a person from the start of his career to now. He has shared with me that not only has he solved cases in the United States, but in Italy as well as Japan. Technology plays a key part in a forensic scientists job but “contrary to what the general public believes, much of my work involves actually thinking to solve forensic problems in a case”(Kenton Wong). A forensic scientist needs to have problem solving skills, as well as math, but they do use technology to help them solve their cases. Kenton explains that they use “typical scientific equipment”, although I don’t recall these items in the biology lab, such as DNA amplification tech, various microscopes (even one that scans for electrons), infrared and gas chromatographs spectrometer, but they don’t use computer programs or software to solve the case for them.
Forensic science is an applied science to law/legal issues in a criminal justice system. After the reconstruction of a crime scene, testing DNA, looking at blood splatter patterns, the case is taken to court. A forensic scientist must be able to write well and communicate well with others. If they aren't able to do this their evidence may not hold up in a court case. As Kenton Wong put it “ a forensic scientist MUST be an excellent writer as well as an effective and articulate verbal communicator as you may have to express what the forensic work that you conducted actually means” (Wong).
While Dr. Kenton Wong has experience out in the field, he learned how to do all this from someone. Which brings me to my next interviewee: Professor Elizabeth Gardener. Unlike Kenton, Professor Gardner got interested in the subject of forensics because she liked the challenge it posed. Gardener shares the teaching aspect of this science rather than being in the field. Teaching students involves giving many lectures about techniques and procedure, testing what they learned in lab experiments, and doing research. When in class, it seems to be the same as any other science class someone has been in, but with more DNA tests and fingerprint analysis. Gardner believes that one of the greatest struggles in teaching this field is finding students willing to learn. Without the students there is no class and with no class there are no future forensic scientists. Another major struggle is writing grant proposals as a forensic professor to fund their research as well as their students. Gardener even shares that a big struggle for any forensic scientist is making sure that all their hard work will be able to hold in court, Professor or Doctor. Teaching is different than being out in the field as Gardener clearly states, “In teaching, we can take our time” (Gardener). Out in the field there isn’t much time there are deadlines and criminals to catch. So what may have taken a month in the classroom takes the scientist a week to do.
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Forensic Scientist are important to have in a criminal case. They can determine whether or not you are guilty or innocent. There are many different pieces of lab equipment at their disposal, as well as different types of forensics. Without these types of scientists many problems would go unanswered as well as bad people roaming about. Being a forensic scientist isn’t easy. They need to be able to think quickly, write well, speak clearly, know trigonometry, and be able to hold their evidence in a court of law. The job is “ very fulfilling work (but gruesome at times) that I have enjoyed greatly” (Wong).
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