Forensic science students make professional connections during week-long event

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Students in Washburn University’s forensic science department got a glimpse of what their futures could look like as the met with professionals in their field for a panel discussion Wednesday.

High caseloads and rapid advancements are driving faster-than-average growth in the forensic sciences, creating ample career opportunities for students pursuing careers in the field.

Kylea Myers and Kenzie Schotte both study forensic investigation at Washburn, they attended a panel discussion with professional forensic scientists Wednesday.

“It’s nice to see people, make connections,” says Schotte. “And to have those people in the field later on for references or just to have people that you know, that you can ask questions about if you have questions about cases and things like that.”

The panel connected students to their professional counterparts where they explored the different disciplines within the field.

“I’ve learned what it might entail to be a crime scene investigator,” says Shotte, who plans for a careers as a crime scene investigator. “What they did to get where they are all the things that you can be involved in certifications schooling, what their cases look like.”

“There’s so much that you can do within forensic science,” says Kylea Myers. “So getting to hear from all the different kinds of parts. It basically just tells you their day to day life, you know, what you can expect after college. and just the insane amount of things that you can do because there’s not just one path. When studying forensic investigations, there’s hundreds that you can take and so just learning from them and kind of what they studied and everything like that, just kind of get you more prepared after college.”

However, students did more than just get some questions answered.

Holly O’Neill, director of the forensic chemistry program at Washburn, says students also have the chance to build their network.

“They get to meet people that they might do future interns with KBI or at some of the other counties in Kansas,” she says. “[It] kind of helps them establish relationships, maybe exchanged some contact information. We’ve had some a lot of successful internships come out through this as well.”

Washburn partnered with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations to host Wednesday’s panel as a part of National Forensic Science Week celebrations, which seeks to acknowledge, promote, and advance the field.

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