Jennifer Godar and the Washburn University Forensics Department

Godar’s innovative teaching idea, “Genetics and Biotechnology,” incorporates a semester-long elective that will continue to attract the attention of students interested in genetics and forensic science. With the Voya grant award, the lab component of the course will be improved to offer students an enhanced learning experience. Students involved in the program will learn about the structure of DNA, DNA replication and the process of DNA profiling. Through an organized case study that will be part of the programs curriculum, students will engage the entire school community by creating even more interest in this area of the sciences. Additionally, students will partake in a field trip to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Laboratory at Washburn University, providing them with the opportunity to see forensic scientists at work in a “real” environment.