As a student (or someone who recently graduated) in forensic science, it’s exciting to think of all the opportunities that lay before you, but it can also be intimidating, leading to a number of questions. We’d like to help by creating a community to help answer your questions, build your network, and to a place to share your research.
February is a BIG month for students in the ISHI community as we will be launching our Threesis Academic Challenge and our search for our next Student Ambassadors. We’ll also be hosting our first online forum designed specifically for students. Read on to learn more!
Can you summarize your research in just three minutes? As a student or newly minted forensic scientist, you have limited opportunities to showcase your work before your peers and presenting at a scholarly conference can be daunting. This Threesis challenge is an opportunity to refine your thinking and hone your communication skills so that you can articulate the impact your research has on the field of DNA forensics. The competition also hopes to foster engagement and collaboration between individuals by promoting your research to a wider audience.
To participate in the challenge, prepare a three-minute video explaining your research and submit by May 1, 2023. Videos should be received in MP4 format (horizontal format preferred) and will be shared on our YouTube Channel where viewers will have between May 15-31, 2023 to cast their vote for their favorite by liking the video. Winners will be announced by June 15, 2023. Videos will be judged on the following criteria:
- Did the presenter introduce the topic well?
- Need and relevance of the research to the field of DNA forensics
- Did the presenter explain the methods and results concisely and clearly?
- Did the presenter make good use of slide design/images/etc.?
- Did the presenter speak at an appropriate pace and volume?
- Was the presentation captivating?
Two winners will be selected based on the number of likes their videos have received. The first-place winner will receive a $500 cash prize and the opportunity to have a pizza party for their entire lab. The second-place winner will receive a $250 cash prize. Additionally, all videos will be shared in the May issue of The ISHI Report, and winning presenters will be be eligible to submit an article for consideration to be printed in the peer-reviewed Forensic Genomics journal. All who submit a video will receive a free ISHI t-shirt (and their advising professor) just for entering the challenge.
LEARN MORE AND SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO
The ISHI organizing committee invites students currently pursuing a degree in the field of forensic science with a focus on DNA analysis to apply to become ISHI Student Ambassadors. Chosen applicants will be awarded free registration (including workshops) to the 34th International Symposium on Human Identification in Denver, Colorado.
Each entry should clearly answer the prompt provided below and follow all contest rules. Please contact the ISHI Team with any questions or for troubleshooting assistance.
Written essay- answer the following questions using between 500 to 750 words total.
- Forensic science can be a demanding career. The work may be exacting and tedious without a lot of recognition for a job well done. How did you decide that forensic science was the career for you? What aspirations do you have for your career after graduation and what is your scientific area of focus?
- If you are selected to attend this year’s ISHI, what do you hope to gain from your participation? What impact might participation in ISHI have on your personal and career growth?
- If you are awarded free conference registration, you will be asked to present a scientific poster. Briefly describe what your scientific poster will be about.
Video recording- prepare a video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long.
Forensic science can be a demanding career. The work may be exacting and tedious without a lot of recognition for a job well done. How did you decide that forensic science was the career for you? What aspirations do you have for your career after graduation and what is your scientific area of focus?
The students awarded free registration agree to provide the ISHI committee with the following (but not limited to) materials to be shared on social media by ISHI show management:
- A head shot or photo of the student.
- A day in the life series to be shared on our Instagram stories.
- Two interview style blog posts before the ISHI symposium to get to know you better and to preview your poster research.
- Photos to be shared on the student’s social media channels of you preparing for the conference.
- A scientific poster presentation at ISHI (abstract due July 7, 2023).
- Social media posts each day of the ISHI conference.
- Onsite interviews at the symposium with the ISHI media team including (but not limited to) sharing of the student’s scientific poster, and a sit-down interview.
- A handful of photos taken at the event.
- An interview style blog post after ISHI about what you took away from the conference.
Learn More and Submit Your Application
