High school students will get a crash course in forensic science Wednesday, June 22, during a “CSI: Toledo” program as part of The University of Toledo’s annual Pharmacy Summer Camp.
The students will walk through a mock “crime scene” and test data such as fingerprints, blood typing (not with real blood) and DNA analysis as an interactive way to tie the science back to medical and pharmaceutical research.
About 40 rising high school seniors will participate in “CSI: Toledo,” which will begin with instructions in Collier Building Room 1050 at 10:30 a.m. The group then will do a walkthrough of the scene of the crime, which occurred in Health Education Building Room 15D. After lunch, the students will learn blood typing and DNA analysis in Health Education Building Room 15E from noon until 1:30 p.m., when they will gather again in the Collier Building to go over the exercise and identify a suspect.
This is the first year “CSI: Toledo” has been included in the Pharmacy Summer Camp, which has been held since 2001. The participating students come from high schools across Ohio as well as Michigan, Georgia, New York, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
“’CSI: Toledo’ shows students how crime scene chemistry translates into fascinating careers in scientific research, particularly in the pharmaceutical sciences,” said Laural Seewer, UT student and coordinator of the Pharmacy Summer Camp. “The faculty want to inspire these students to apply their skills in math and science to help others through careers in research.”
Throughout the four-day camp, the students learn about the pharmacy profession and shadow pharmacists, as well as have fun with a scavenger hunt and visit to the UT Student Recreation Center.
The camp is sponsored by the UT College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Walgreens and Cardinal Health.
