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Can you tell us a little bit about your career path in forensics? How did you end up in the role that you currently occupy?

My initial interest in forensic science began when I was obtaining my chemistry degree at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Fl. FIU had just begun offering a criminalistics track in chemistry and I was one of the first students to participate in their program. After completing an internship at the Miami-Dade county crime laboratory, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the field. At the time, I was unaware that DEA had a laboratory in the Miami area. I only became aware when a contact from Miami Dade laboratory told me DEA was hiring. I immediately applied and as they say, “the rest is history.” I have spent the last 33 years in forensic science.

I knew early on in my career that I wanted to get into management. I observed a few things in my first five years that I thought I could improve if I became involved in management. After seven years on the bench, I entered management and made several geographical and professional moves that positioned me well for my current position as the head of the DEA Laboratory System. In 2010, I was fortunate to be offered the job and over the last 10 years, I have attempted to create an organization that values its customers, quality work, diversity, inclusion, and having fun.

In your experience, how have diversity and inclusion played a part in your occupation?

When I started at the Miami DEA Laboratory, I was one of only two Hispanic forensic chemists. I found this odd, as the population of Miami Dade county was predominantly Hispanic at that time. It was apparent that, much in the same way that I did not know DEA had a laboratory in Miami, very little outreach and recruiting was being done at the local universities. Soon after beginning my employment at DEA, I proposed a plan to management, which they endorsed, to begin more aggressively recruiting at local universities and in Puerto Rico. I certainly did not have anything to do with it, but today the ethnic and racial composition of the laboratory is much more representative of the local population.

Can you talk about a time in the workplace where you noticed the benefit of diversity in a situation? Or where the situation would have benefited from more diverse thinking?

Let me try to answer this question in a slightly different manner. It’s hard for me to recall a specific situation that “ did not” benefit from diverse opinions or perspectives. Throughout my career, the best decisions have come from thoughtful, often times contentious discussions, that represented a variety of perspectives. I have seen first-hand how “group think” can lead to poor results. In my opinion, truly effective decision making cannot be accomplished without diversity.

Have your lived experiences shaped your approach to inclusivity in the field in any way?

I consider myself fortunate to have never felt marginalized throughout my professional career. Of course, I have seen instances where the value of inclusivity is not appreciated or understood. As a result, I have always taken the approach, as mentioned above, that an inclusive workplace is essential to organizational success.

Are there any stories you would like to share of a time you directly saw the benefit of diversity or inclusion in forensics?

I have served on two international forensic science committees whose members represent all corners of the world and all walks of life. If ever there was diversity in forensics- these committees are it. The committees work to advance forensic science globally by sharing best practices. These groups, in my opinion demonstrate diversity in forensics at its best.

Can you tell us a little bit about your career path in forensics? How did you end up in the role that you currently occupy?

I first thought I wanted to go to school for music education, then I realized I loved science more as a career and music as a hobby. I went through most of my four years at Mizzou on the pre-med track. After shadowing a medical examiner and seeing some of the crime scene investigators’ work, I decided forensics gave me more joy than medicine. Since middle school, I was always interested in crime scene investigation from the T.V. show CSI: Las Vegas, but I never considered it a real career. I decided to research the field of forensics more and learned there was more to the field than just CSI. I couldn’t decide between firearms, trace evidence, latent prints, and crime scene so I decided to go to graduate school to learn more and really narrow down my career choice. I interned at Boston Police Department and got experience doing latent print processing, but I landed on crime scene investigation and accepted a CSI position at Johnson County, KS Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab in 2014.

In your experience, how have diversity and inclusion played a part in your occupation?

I am the only black person at my crime lab. It can be tough, but I take pride in knowing I can provide representation in the field and share my life experiences so others can have a different perspective. I made a big push one year to place facts about black scientists around the lab for Black History Month. That influenced another co-worker to want to post facts to celebrate all awareness and culture months such as Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month. This hasn’t impacted me or my occupation specifically, but at least our lab is welcoming and a safe space for all that visit or work here.

Can you talk about a time in the workplace where you noticed the benefit of diversity in a situation? Or where the situation would have benefited from more diverse thinking?

At times, co-workers, detectives, and attorneys see items or situations that they don’t recognize or can’t describe that may predominantly be from the black culture. An example of this was when I collected a braid cap/bonnet from a scene. An attorney was unsure of what it was and immediately thought it was going to be used as a “kidnapping hood”. I educated them on what it was and provided an unbiased opinion on the situation. Having a person of color there was extremely beneficial to help educate, but it worried me because what if I wasn’t the CSI called out to that scene? Not all examples are this extreme. Sometimes it’s as simple as proper wording for notes or a report. More diverse thinking would be helpful so the one person of color or underrepresented community doesn’t always have to provide the education on cultural items and experiences.

Have your lived experiences shaped your approach to inclusivity in the field in any way?

Yes, definitely! I’ve always had an open mind, and my parents have taught me to be welcoming of all no matter your socioeconomic status, age, physical disabilities, sexual orientation, gender, race, religious beliefs, and more. I know what it’s like to be discriminated against and to not have all the privileges of others so I would never want to make anyone feel the same way. I work with detectives and officers from all backgrounds, and I work with victims and suspects from all backgrounds. They’re all people. I try to surround myself in my personal life with people from all backgrounds so I can do my work with an open mind, communicate with my co-workers so they have a sense of belonging, and be able to relate to all people I meet during my day-to-day. I want to encourage others to do the same.

Are there any stories you would like to share of a time you directly saw the benefit of diversity or inclusion in forensics?

I was once at a STEM event specifically for girls of middle school and high school age. A young black girl came up to me and said she’s interested in forensic science and she was so happy to see someone that looked like her (meaning same skin color) in the field. She started crying and asked for a hug. It was a good reminder that representation matters. I have made community outreach a focus of mine so others can try to see themselves in my shoes.

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