Embedded Files
My emerging expertise is my increasing knowledge in the field of drug chemistry pertaining to the detection, testing, and interpretation of how to identify controlled substances over the years through my Honors Contract for organic chemistry.
Podcast on the Relation of Organic Chemistry to Forensic Science
Podcast on the Relation of Organic Chemistry to Forensic Science
This podcast was my Honors Contract for the Spring semester of my sophomore year through my Organic Chemistry 2 lecture. The podcast discusses how important organic chemistry is to the identification of controlled substances in forensic science. I act as a drug chemist for a police department and my colleague is the host of the podcast where she asks me questions about the process of identifying drugs in the field. This project displays my early knowledge of drug chemistry from a basic level simply from the classes I had already taken as a sophomore. It also shows the real world connections I was making from my Organic Chemsitry lecture to my future career at an early time in college.
To the left, I provided a transcript of what would be talked about during the podcast by provding my colleague the questions she would ask me, when audios would be inserted, and some guidance to what we would talk about and whatever segues she wanted for the podcast. I wanted it to feel like two people were simply having a conversation with some guided material added on for the professor to listen to get a feel of how these topics not only related to the lecture material, but also my future career. Below you can listen to the podcast in full!
Illinois State Police Crime Lab Internship
Illinois State Police Crime Lab Internship
In the summer of 2025, I participated in an internship with the Illinois State Police Crime Lab in Morton, IL where I shadowed drug chemists, firearms analysts, finderprint examiners, DNA biologists, a medical examiner, and a trace chemist for college course credit and to gain experience in my filed before I graduated. While I was there, I gained so much experiene in the drug chemistry department through a project I did with the scientists. I was able to test three different types of allergy medications to determine what their contents were through preliminary and confirmatory tests the drug chemists use for controlled substance analysis.
I was able to gain hands on experience with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy instruments, and color tests. I was also able to perform certain extractions to prepare my solutions such as acid-base, dry, and HCl fuming. This allowed me to widen my knowledge in chemical applications to real world evidence. From these expereiments, I was able to write a report similar to the reports the chemists submit to the courts for trial.
You can see a couple of pages from the report on the right which includes the data taken from some of the drugs I analyzed. I unfortunately cannot show you the entire report due to confidentiality purposes.
Ketamine Honors Project
Ketamine Honors Project
For my Honors Contract for the Fall of 2025, I created a PowerPoint presentation on a drug that my Forensic Chemistry 1 lecture did not go in depth to and connect the lecture materials to that specific drug. This contract allowed me to research ketamine and present its nature, drug abuses, medical uses, slight history, and what instruments are used to identify it. In comparison to my Honors Contract from my sophomore year, I have displayed more specific knowledge to this field by knowing how to interpret and analyze specific evidence rather than simply knowing what techniques are generally used in forensic chmistry.
It displays my growing knowledge in the analysis, interpretation, and comparison of drugs in my career field. To the right, this is an image of the Schedule 3 drug ketamine and you can access the PowerPoint below the image!
Reflection
Reflection
Across these three experiences, my growing expertise in drug chemistry and forensic science becomes clear through the progression from foundational understanding to applied, specialized knowledge. During my sophomore year Organic Chemistry II Honors Contract, the podcast project demonstrated my early ability to connect classroom concepts in organic chemistry to real-world forensic applications. At that stage, my understanding focused on how general organic chemistry principles support the identification of controlled substances and how forensic drug chemists use analytical techniques in their work. Although my knowledge was still developing, the project showed my initiative to begin thinking about my future career and how academic material could translate into professional practice.
My internship with the Illinois State Police Crime Lab significantly expanded my technical skills and practical experience. Through hands-on work with instruments such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as performing color tests and chemical extractions, I moved beyond theoretical knowledge to actively applying forensic drug analysis techniques. Writing a report modeled after those submitted in court also strengthened my ability to interpret and communicate scientific findings in a professional forensic context. This experience allowed me to understand the workflow and standards required in real forensic laboratories.
Finally, my forensic chemistry Honors Contract on ketamine demonstrated a deeper level of specialization and analytical thinking. By researching the drug’s chemical properties, history, abuse patterns, medical uses, and analytical identification methods, I showed my ability to interpret specific forensic evidence and connect it to broader scientific and legal contexts. Together, these experiences illustrate my development from learning fundamental concepts to applying advanced analytical techniques and communicating findings like a practicing forensic drug chemist. They collectively reflect my emerging expertise and preparation to enter the field as a knowledgeable and skilled forensic science professional.
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