Courtesy photoBrandy Henrickson enjoys how using forensic science to solve a crime is like putting together the pieces in a puzzle to complete a picture.
“I learned that I could take what I loved about physics and engineering: the building, the testing, as well as the problem solving, and apply it to helping others by finding the answers,” she said.
High school classes motivated her to change her path from engineering to law enforcement. She is continuing that path with a paid internship through Wichita State University.
Henrickson, a senior majoring in forensic science, recently interned at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Wichita Field Office. Making money while she worked helped her focus her energies on school and the internship.
“My internship allowed me to see the investigative side of my career field, as well as bridge the gap between my education and the real world,” she said. “I was able to make amazing connections and gain experience that will help me in the job market.”
Classes in WSU’s School of Criminal Justice and the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Excellence prepared her for the internship. Henrickson also took Gun Crime in America and learned about the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.
“My Serial Killers and Cold Case Investigation classes gave me insight into investigation procedures,” she said. “In addition, my Seminar in Forensic Science classes helped me connect the investigation and forensic aspects of a case.”
Henrickson, from Idalia, Colorado, is minoring in physics, mathematics and criminal justice. She is also in the Cohen Honors College Emory Lindquist Honors Track. She’s considering both the laboratory side and the field/investigator side to forensics.
At her internship, paid through the Midwest Criminal Justice Institute, she worked with investigative analysts and intelligence research specialists to support special agents. Her duties included archiving files, reviewing surveillance footage, running criminal histories and developing National Integrated Ballistics Information Network reports. She also role played during a tactical training day.
Her work as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Haifan Wu’s Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry Research Lab allowed her to explore laboratory work.
This summer, Henrickson is adding to her resume by interning with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Forensic Services (with assistance from the Cohen Enhancement Scholarship) for experience with laboratory work.
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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