Day 7: Forensic Taphonomy and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation
“Today was an extremely busy day for all of us! We spent the morning going around different lab stations learning about Taphonomic Profiling. It was most interesting looking at the different trauma skulls and trying to figure out what type of injury these skulls could have had and whether or not these injuries were caused peri-mortem or post-mortem. I also enjoyed looking at the remains that had been badly burned. I didn’t realize that burned bone actually got lighter in colour rather than black. For me, I was most excited about our afternoon session; we were going to London, Ohio to take a tour of the State Crime Lab at the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. It was so interesting getting a first hand look at all the different areas of the lab, and learning about what the requirements are to get a job in the Forensic Scientist Field. After touring the lab we drove over to the Peace Officer Training Academy and got a tour of their facilities. This was especially interesting for me because I want a job in law enforcement. They were so educated on the different types of weaponry and ammunition. There is a lot that goes into becoming a peace officer, and knowing all this information is so necessary to know before jumping into a potential career field.”
Chelsea E. – Participant
“Today I felt like I was a little more active. This morning, we learned about the taphonomic profile and how we can tell if a bone was sun bleached was chewed on by an animal, and how certain diseases affected the bones. I think the bone that was affected by tuberculosis was fascinating to look at because it looked like there were bubbles forming on the bone itself. I also looked further into how tuberculosis affects the bone and it looks very uncomfortable. I also learned a lot about guns that went beyond the video games I play, like Army of TWO. My favorite part of today was visiting the BCI and learning about the different divisions. I would like to learn more about the forensic biology and the special agent division. I would also like to thank the person who mentioned a master’s degree program at Bowling Green; I plan on getting my master’s and if I decide to work for BCI, I would be able to transfer closer to my hometown. I’m excited about tomorrow and hopefully the weather won’t be too bad.”
Dominique C. – Participant