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Sydney Garmus

485

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Finalist

Bio

I am a Duquesne University Forensic Science and Law major working to reach my goals as a future forensic scientist. My career goal is to work with the FBI in digital forensics or anthropology. I am passionate about making the world a better place by protecting children from online predators and human trafficking. My research interest right now is with facial reconstruction and database creation.

Education

Duquesne University

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
    • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
  • Minors:
    • Law
    • Mathematics
    • Computer Science

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Law Enforcement

    • Dream career goals:

      Forensic Scientist who works with/for the FBI

      Sports

      Tennis

      Varsity
      2018 – 20224 years
      Fallen "Freaks" Scholarship
      When I imagine my time in the womb, I imagine hearing my parents' voices, the coffee machine, and the Law and Order sound effect. I have always grown up loving crime shows, to the point where I remember thinking that I was going to be the real-life Dr. Brennan from the show Bones. Though, as I work to enter the field, I keep learning about what we lack, and what problems we face; which has impassioned me to one day be a contributor to fixing them. The biggest problem I have found is the lack of a national organization for forensic science. We have the National Institute of Justice’s forensic laboratories, and we have the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, but we lack a national organization that connects the different laboratories, advocates for more resources, and overall acts as a voice within the government. The necessity for this has become more prevalent in recent years, as forensics has grown into its position as an integral part of evidence acquisition; however, like a growing child, we have outgrown our current system. Presently, forensic science labs are independent from state to state, which, in my opinion, is inefficient. This can be seen in the coroner vs medical examiner debacle, the substantial number of rape kits that are left untouched, the disorganization in district communications, and more. More research must be done to analyze these issues and work around the politics of the criminal justice system, but this disconnect has created a series of problems due to the lack of coordination. One of the issues I have seen is the minimal amount of outreach to find young people interested in forensic science. If anything, the only promotion about its importance is TV shows and true crime podcasts. An interesting effect of this, coming from an American Westerner, is that universities lack the forensic science major to the point where it is not even an option on scholarship websites. Fortunately, podcasts and television have helped make forensic science more well-known. This type of promotion with the general public is necessary for finding people, which is the largest resource that the forensics field lacks (along with money). Overall, I tell you about these problems to prove my passion for the field, as who in their right mind would enter a field so dangerously unorganized? This messy field is my passion because it brings justice to a vast number of people, and it can be improved with better structure and coordination: my two favorite things. And while these are issues that I cannot take on alone, I can do my part to spread awareness and advocate for what needs to be done. The forensic science field is a serious challenge, and I am ready to rumble.