What is Forensic Science?

Definition of forensic science is a combination of law and science.

So, whatever science that we do is to back up the law.

So, we would be called to court cases all

the time with the forensic or science evidence,

but we're a bind of law and science.

When people think like forensic science,

they think,

oh my gosh,

like crime scene investigation and

majority of the stuff it is but it's like processing evidence found in like crime

scenes and then you take that evidence and you identify it and you classify it,

there's a lot of aspects of it there's a lot you could do with it.

We think as forensic science as always being out in the field.

Obviously,

yes,

we can work with law,

become a police officer,

you

can even go to law school,

become a lawyer,

you can

go to

a med school and become a doctor,

but

you can sit in the lab,

receive the evidence,

work on those evidences all day,

right?

And other than that,

you could do research.

You want to research a certain topic about forensic science,

you could do that for years,

right?

There are people in the background

that are doing a lot of the work that's not completely related

to those law things where they are doing their own research,

doing their own lab work

for the greater good of humanity.

I'm a pre-medical student,

so

if I wanted to be a medical examiner,

for example,

and do autopsies,

I'd still have to go to med school.

So, that's a track that I feel like a lot of forensic science majors pursue,

the medical field because there's,

it's just so broad,

like there's a lot you could do in it.

What's so great about our forensics classes is that the majority of

the professors are like doctors or like have worked in this field,

so they have so many connections.

They will offer stuff to you be like,

"Hey,

we're,

we're looking for interns,"

"we're looking for volunteers for research."

So, we have had so many guest speakers that come in.

Professor Parmelee invited like two, three guests over that are

experts in certain criteria like fingerprints.

I know Professor Zapico,

she brought her co-worker who wrote a research paper with her

that's presenting this week at APHIS,

a big forensic science conference.

She came in to talk to

our class and forensic science introduction class.

As a forensic science major,

you need to do co-op.

You could do it with research or you could do a paid internship.

So, I picked a paid internship at the medical examiner's office in Newark,

so you can work in the autopsy room as a morgue tech,

and there's toxicology labs,

there's learning how to use a CT scan.

There's a lot you could do there.

It's really cool that you get to see that other side

of the field that you don't really hear much about.

I'm actually sad that I'm leaving NGIT because I know

Professor Parmelee is thinking about all these classes,

new classes that he wants to do,

right?

Specifically for anthropology,

specifically for DNA,

specifically for tumors,

and you can focus in one criteria

that you like even within the major earthquake science.

And I think that's what makes it amazing.

It's so fun that it doesn't feel like classes.

You enjoy going,

you get to know the professors,

the professors help you with everything.

Nothing is actually hard if you're like willing to learn.

And it's,

it's fun,

it's really fun.

There's so much that you can learn from,

there's so much networking,

there's so much development going on

that it will only get better. (MUSIC)

NJIT makes forensic scientists.