Forensic Scientist

Forensic Scientist

LIsa Black

Cape Coral, FL

Female, 49

I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.

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Last Answer on July 21, 2022

Best Rated

What did you major in and where? Also did you have a minor?

Asked by Ramen over 4 years ago

I have a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cleveland State University. I didn’t have a minor.

What are the major duties and responsibilities.

Asked by Jessie over 3 years ago

That depends entirely on where you work and what your job is. If you’re a ballistics expert, you’ll spend your days looking at guns and ammunition. If you’re a DNA analyst, you’ll be in a lab with micro tubes. If you’re me, you spend a lot of time looking at fingerprints and sometimes go to crime or death scenes.

I hear there is a lot of politics in police work is this true and why?

Asked by Bobbi sue over 4 years ago

Before I worked in forensics, I was a personnel secretary, a hotel maid, and an ice cream counter server and a gas station 'full service specialist'. My husband is an elevator field engineer. There is 'politics' in every profession. Every. Single. One.

Best of luck!

Why when someone is dying do first responders try to make them talk and keep talking

Asked by Justin almost 5 years ago

I have no idea as I’ve never worked as a first responder. I would suspect that’s largely a plot device for film or books, but I don’t actually know.

How reliable are drug tests? The ones that turn colors. I seen where a dude had doughnut glaze on the ground and it tested positive (no thats not a joke lol).

Asked by Darren over 4 years ago

I'm sorry but I've never worked in toxicology, so I've never tested drugs with any kind of test.

Sorry I can't help!

As someone wanting to become a forensic scientist, do you recommend majoring in an actual forensic science program or is it okay to take biology or chemistry?

Asked by Josie almost 5 years ago

My guess is it depends on what you want to do. If you want to work in a lab, then biology for DNA or trace evidence or chemistry for toxicology would be the way to go. If you want to work in the field, mostly at the crime scene, then you might want the more general forensic science. Go on the websites of agencies and professional organizations, look at their vacancy postings, and see what they ask for. Best of luck!

What is something other scientists do as well as officers such as patrol and detectives that annoy you or even piss you plumb off

Asked by Johnathan about 4 years ago

Usually I'm annoyed most often by people asking for things to be done immediately while ignoring a) that we are working on more cases than just theirs, b) that some processes take time, and/or c) that what their asking for isn't going to prove anything for them anyway.

As for fellow scientists, the worst offenses are a) finding typos in my reports and b) taking the last piece of cheesecake out of the communal fridge.