
Barry Franklin
The blog provides specific information to help you decide if forensic science is the right choice for you. With the inside scoop on forensic science professors, schools and training programs, as well as detailed information on the steps and requirements to become a forensics professional, the ForensicsColleges.com blog is a fine place to begin your research.
Some digital forensics tools go beyond simple searches for files or images and delve into the arena of cybersecurity, requiring network analysis or cyber threat assessment. When there is a tool for everything, the most pressing question is which one to use.
The criminal justice system in America is the overarching establishment through which crimes and those who commit them are discovered, tried, and punished. A criminalist is not involved in determining the guilt or innocence of an accused individual. Their job, rather, is to present an objective analysis of the evidence.
Fire investigators, also known as arson investigators, perform an invaluable service to society: they determine the causes of fires, and when necessary, whether a criminal act of arson was involved. These professionals employ both the skills of a scientist and those of a detective in their investigations.
The primary use of forensic entomology is in death investigations as insect activity can reveal when, where, and sometimes how a person died. That said, forensic entomology can also assist in detecting drugs and poisons; determining the location of a crime; finding the presence and time of trauma; and even tying suspect, victim, and crime scene to each other.
Whether going out on a date, traveling through a foreign country, or interrogating a suspect in a crime, forensic psychology offers a wealth of tools to help decode people’s nonverbal behavior. These cues include gestures, vocal tones, body positioning, micro-expressions of the face, and a number of often subconscious indicators of people’s internal states.
Crime scene investigators and forensic scientists are both concerned with deriving information from evidence in order to discover the truth and determine the appropriate course of action. While complementary, the two roles are distinct. Learn more about the similarities and differences between them.
There’s no shortage of crime-fighting TV shows where protagonists brandish the latest forensic science techniques. Whether it’s DNA testing, tool mark identification, bite mark measuring, or blood spatter analysis, it’s assumed that these methods are reliable, consistent, and valid measures of criminal activity.
At the intersection of medical and legal matters is where the work of a forensic pathologist begins. Known as “death detectives,” forensic pathologists are specially-trained physicians tasked with determining the cause of unexpected or violent deaths.
Barry Franklin
Before co-founding Sechel Ventures Partners LLC, Barry Franklin was a VP at a Silicon Valley software company. He is an investor and advisor for DataSimply and Impellia. Barry believes that education and lifelong learning are paramount. Barry met his wife at Carnegie Mellon University and they have two beautiful daughters. He also volunteers for various committees at his kids’ high school.