Sara McIntosh, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, recently ran a forensic science summer camp for middle school students called “Whodunit? The Science of Crime Scenes.” 

The camp introduced students to a variety of topics including chromatographic separations of ink and lipstick, DNA analysis and separation, hair and fiber analysis, and fingerprinting techniques. 

Guest speakers included Lester Gerhardt, Vice Provost and Acting Dean of Graduate Education, who spoke to the students about biometrics and Donald Kirk, from the Albany State Police Crime Laboratory, who spoke to the students about what it takes to be a forensic scientist. Kate Dannheim, an RPI undergraduate, was an integral part of the camp, as she volunteered her time throughout the two-weeks to help teach and guide the students.   

The camp culminated in a real whodunit mystery, where the students collected evidence from “crime scenes” and used the knowledge they gained throughout the camp to analyze their evidence and solve the crime. The students worked together and were able to crack the case.

This camp was supported, in part, by a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Special Grant in the Chemical Sciences. 

Published August 17, 2007