{"id":157879,"date":"2024-12-19T09:18:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T14:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/?post_type=stories&p=157879"},"modified":"2024-12-19T10:19:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T15:19:37","slug":"solid-dna","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/","title":{"rendered":"Solid DNA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Dr. Alexander Sinelnikov joined Indiana Tech in 2020 to lead the university\u2019s forensic science program, his goal was to develop outstanding graduates who are well-prepared to succeed in any biology laboratory setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years later, he\u2019s getting the results he was looking for: graduates are earning quality positions and the program is growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur graduates are ready for any lab setting, whether it be forensic, clinical, research or industry, or any other laboratory working with DNA,\u201d Sinelnikov said. \u201cWe have had a 64 percent increase in students enrolled in our program from fall 2023 to fall 2024. I attribute this to the outstanding work of our admissions team and the various events it hosts over the year to promote our university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without question, Tech\u2019s admissions team does remarkable work in introducing our university to hundreds of prospective students and their families every year. But Sinelnikov has made the job easier by creating a hands-on environment where relevant learning takes place\u2014an environment equipped with the kinds of state-of-the-art lab equipment used by professionals in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Brooke<\/a>
Brooke Buhr graduated in 2024 with a B.S. in forensic science. She is now a forensic scientist in the Indiana State Police Laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery class related to my degree was very hands-on from my freshman year on,\u201d said Brooke Buhr, a 2024 graduate who joined the Indiana State Police Laboratory in August as a forensic scientist. \u201cEven the classes that didn\u2019t necessarily fully align with what I saw myself doing in my future job, they were teaching me the non-tangible skills\u2014public speaking, being able to work in a group, being able to manage my time wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her role, Brooke is analyzing DNA and body fluids to help her team solve crimes. That could entail analyzing rape kits, blood on a bloody knife or body fluids on clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVictims of crimes are very vulnerable people, and helping their families get closure in court will be a really rewarding aspect of this job,\u201d Buhr said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech\u2019s forensic science graduates can also be hired for an array of related positions, including fingerprint analyst, crime scene investigator, bloodstain pattern analyst and lab technician. Arnez Williams, a 2022 grad, is a fingerprint classifier, also with the Indiana State Police Laboratory. Jocelyn Bringht, a 2024 graduate, is pursuing a nursing degree within the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered through a partnership between Huntington University, Indiana Tech and Parkview Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA forensic nurse is a nurse who specializes in trauma, treating crime survivors and collecting evidence that could help in criminal cases,\u201d Bringht said. \u201cI want to find evidence to help with crimes and help someone\u2014even if just a tiny bit\u2014get through one of the hardest things they could go through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

America has always had a fascination with crime, and that intrigue has grown exponentially over the past 25 years with the advent of streaming services, such as Netflix, and podcasts. If you are a crime junkie, there is an unlimited supply of content out there to feed your need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe interest in solving crime and the role forensic science plays in that is not going away anytime soon,\u201d Dr. Sinelnikov said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we are going to continue to develop relevant, interesting courses and maintain a modern lab setting that prepares our graduates to succeed in any lab setting they pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some current students in Indiana Tech’s forensic science program:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

“I chose this career because I liked the puzzle-pieces, problem-solving aspects… I want to help reduce crime.”<\/p>\nDamon Kuntz<\/strong>
Bourbon, Indiana<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Forensic science assists criminal cases in finding and examining evidence, which piqued my interest”<\/p>\nSophia Jermstad<\/strong>
Minneapolis, Minnesota<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI chose to pursue a degree in forensic science to help reduce the number of people wrongly convicted due to forensic error.\u201d<\/p>\nSamantha Yauch<\/strong>
Fort Wayne, Indiana<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":157880,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-157879","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSolid DNA - Indiana Tech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/\",\"name\":\"Solid DNA - Indiana Tech\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/22.10.25-Asher-Indiana-Tech-187.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T14:18:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-19T15:19:37+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/22.10.25-Asher-Indiana-Tech-187.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/22.10.25-Asher-Indiana-Tech-187.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Dr. Alexander Sinelnikov with student\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/solid-dna\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/stories\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Solid DNA\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/\",\"name\":\"Indiana Tech\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.indianatech.edu\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Solid DNA - 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