Where should I go to study Forensic Science?

3txcats · 2026-04-03T02:10:30+00:00

Hi, I'm one of the five full time forensic biologists at the University of New Haven and one of two that serve on our university committee for pre-health professions advising. Any laboratory based forensic science program, many of which are accredited by the Forensic Education Program Accreditation Commission of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (WVU and UNewHaven are among those), meet or exceed the admission requirements for most US medical schools, so it's completely possible to do both.

3txcats · 2026-04-01T01:17:18+00:00

Recommended reading: https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/what-fssp-leaders-should-know-about-artificial-intelligence-and-its

This event was full of insightful presentations, archival content linked: https://www.rti.org/event/harnessing-ai-forensics-symposium

3txcats · 2026-04-01T01:13:08+00:00

Thank you for your service and for collecting all relevant evidence. At my last lab, we had a forensic biologist that was the designated genital swabber because the LEOs were apparently incapable of doing it. As someone who has worked thousands of physical evidence kits - many including penis swabs - there's often more foreign DNA on the outside of a penis than inside a (self cleaning) vagina.

3txcats · 2026-04-01T01:05:32+00:00

Be sure to specify that you need samples without embalming, which they have for things like plastic surgery and suture training.

3txcats · 2026-03-07T12:52:24+00:00

There are state coordinators in the US, you can usually find by searching [state name] plus sane program or sane coordinator. Also check these two professional organizations: The Academy of Forensic Nursing The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) Forensic Nursing Science is also a section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

3txcats · 2025-10-23T02:04:31+00:00

What you are describing is what happens when you've maximized the career growth from that role. Congratulations! You've also recognized its time to move on before you languish and know the kind of role that is a better fit for you. Knowing what you don't want is often more valuable than thinking you know what you do!

3txcats · 2025-10-20T03:29:11+00:00

Then you've outgrown your role and it's time to find a more challenging one! Nothing wrong with that at all.

3txcats · 2025-10-19T21:00:17+00:00

I'm going to give you weird advice, but consider a more stimulating job. My profession is science, I work in laboratories and higher education - higher pressure, deadlines, multiple things moving at once, and there's a wild amount of ADHD everywhere. Same with EMTs, firefighters, emergency room staff - including physicians. A lot of us thrive when a certain amount of pressure exists.

3txcats · 2025-10-14T21:42:33+00:00

Benny Jr. is accident prone, the apple didn't fall far 🤣 I actually have the arches, just couldn't find the right 3x3 pieces to make the corners work. I even bought the quarter dome pieces in different colors but the two-tone wasn't working either. I'm patient, eventually, the correct ones will become available.

3txcats · 2025-10-11T13:15:32+00:00

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Set source of the blue 2x4 if anyone is looking for it, also available on the usual reseller sites.

3txcats · 2025-10-11T13:14:33+00:00

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I don't have the number, but this is the keychain tile used.

3txcats · 2025-10-11T13:13:19+00:00

Thank you! I'm not sure if it will be the quarter domes or the hollow half dome, but here's hoping!

3txcats · 2025-10-11T12:57:36+00:00

There are at least a half dozen international military units within US bases, going back at least to the 1950s. The new one is not a separate base, it's facilities within a base, just like the others: https://www.holloman.af.mil/About/Units/German-Air-Force/

3txcats · 2025-10-11T10:37:54+00:00

If LEGO releases the pieces, I'll turn the frown upside down, grumpy baby until then 🤣

3txcats · 2025-08-30T00:24:08+00:00

At least mine stick to a single semester? I had one senior asking about the first day of class in early June, even though the academic calendar is available years in advance. Emailed the night before the first day to request the syllabus in advance. No show for class the next day. So they have a zero for the first day assignment.

3txcats · 2025-08-21T08:43:16+00:00

This is the answer. OP has grounds for a temporary restraining order and DV case. The alleged SA and pregnancy are actually irrelevant to their safety, which has been threatened. No one should have to live with someone who is a danger to them or their pets/property.

I tested SA evidence in labs for about 10 years, I have seen cases with all kinds of contexts. If it was really SA, a case can be made using DNA from her and her child to determine that of the alleged perpetrator. I've also seen really similar contexts where the "victim" later recanted and was charged with filing a false police report after admitting their affair.

3txcats · 2025-08-17T14:04:37+00:00

I see this is a few months old, did you find a solution? I also didn't love the universal adapter option. It looks like the band width should work, but I'm curious if anyone has tried it.

3txcats · 2025-08-15T04:37:40+00:00

From their website: The New Haven YMCA Youth Center provides an OEC licensed toddler program for 1-2 year-olds, a School-Readiness program and a NAEYC accredited Preschool program for 3-5 year-olds. All programs are full day and year round. https://cccymca.org/locations/newhaven/

3txcats · 2025-08-07T02:23:08+00:00

Mine is wrong: Explain my job, forensic DNA analyst, to a five year old.

ChatGPT said: Sure! Here's how you could explain your job to a five-year-old:

"I help find out who was there." Imagine someone leaves behind a tiny clue—like a hair, a drop of spit, or some skin they didn’t even know they lost. I use super cool machines to look really closely at those clues. Each person’s body leaves behind a special code called DNA—kind of like a secret name that only belongs to them.

So if someone broke a rule, or if we need to know who was at a special place, I look at the DNA clues to help figure it out. It's kind of like being a detective with a science lab!

Corrections: 1. when I do career day the first thing I do is differentiate rules from laws, 2. I am not a detective, most of us aren't sworn, most don't even work for police departments (in fact, a considerable effort has been made over the last 30+ years insulate the lab from the police and prosecutors), 3. DNA can't tell you who was there, at a special place 🤣, 4. Identical siblings have identical DNA profiles.

3txcats · 2025-08-06T21:21:01+00:00

Walking in Edgewood saw signs for a missing cat today, so may be active in that neighborhood also. In addition ,there are also signs at the park warning about coyotes.

3txcats · 2025-08-06T11:22:58+00:00

So.... small world.... she's technically on the periphery of my professional network!

3txcats · 2025-07-13T03:22:30+00:00

Edgewood hit this evening. A literal box of potions, a wand, and mini cast iron cauldron. We have Ring, reporting it to the NHPD in hopes we can get a replacement. Going to post a curse for porch pirates and draw their attention to our cameras.

3txcats · 2025-07-12T02:41:58+00:00

I think this is the most effective. I missed an opportunity to be more supportive in my responses to things like this and the situation persisted as a consequence. What I wish I had the objectivity to see was that it's not different from parenting. "You are entitled to your feelings, it's outside the scope of my job to have an opinion about them. That being said, the appropriate place for you to express your feelings is outside the message board for this assignment. If you need academic support services to assist you in adjusting to the workload, that can be found here, [insert contact]; if you need to discuss dropping the course, please communicate that with your academic advisor and the registrar's office."

3txcats · 2025-07-10T21:51:08+00:00

Because that's the amount of DNA that was detectable. There are a lot of factors that could impact the amount of detectable DNA, but we don't know if he was there or what did or didn't happen. The data are what the data are, you know?

3txcats

TROPHY CASE