Students learn about forensics from an expert
01.26.10
Are forensics investigations just like those seen on CSI or NCIS?
No, not at all. That was the message from forensics' investigator John Hicks from the Northeast Regional Forensics Institute who spoke to a trio of TVHS freshmen who are completing their J-Term research program on the forensic sciences.
Hicks, a longtime investigator, spoke to the students about the process that takes place in conducting investigations, from the gathering of evidence such as DNA and fingerprints, to the time it takes to process that evidence. For those of you fans of CSI and NCIS and the like, no, it's not possible for a complete investigation using forensic data to be wrapped up in an hour.
He also relayed intriguing stories, like the time an investigator retrieved the cigarette butt of a suspect in a crime who had tossed the butt aside. Investigators were able to gather DNA evidence from the discarded butt that eventually led to the suspect's arrest.
J-Term projects - which take place each January
- enable individual interaction between students and area
professionals that help students gain a realistic understanding of
an industry or field of study that is practiced in our region.
Students are required to conduct in-depth research on a topic of
interest and then make a presentation to a panel of peers about
their findings.
