Our latest alumni Q&A features 2006 graduate Jill (Gracie) Robinson, a Forensic Chemist in the Chemistry and Trace Division of the Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory.
Q: Where do you work, and what is your position? What is your current location?
I am a Forensic Chemist in the Chemistry and Trace Division of the Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory in Denver, Colorado.
Q: Can you describe a typical day at your job?
There isn’t one! That’s what makes my job so interesting. It truly is different every day. In a broad sense, I have three main job roles. My primary duty is to analyze evidence for the presence of controlled substances. I also analyze blood for ethanol content in DUI cases. Lastly, I perform research on the quantitation of THC content in edibles and other marijuana products. A typical day of mine can entail any of these three roles, plus testifying in trial for the cases I worked on, training new police cadets in our division of the laboratory, and attending continuing education seminars and trainings.
Q: Can you describe your time at Waynesburg and how it shaped you as a person?
I made the decision to go to Waynesburg, because, at the time, it was one of only a few universities that had an actual Forensic Science degree. Most schools back then, you had to dual major in Criminalistics and either Chemistry or Biology, and I did not want to do that. I wanted my degree to say, “Forensic Science.” I was also drawn to the small class sizes. It was important to me to not just be a number in a classroom, and I was overwhelmed by large universities and their competitive nature. When I look back on that decision, I am so grateful. Waynesburg professors never saw me as a number. They emphasized my potential, taught me critical thinking and problem-solving skills that have been essential in my career, and helped me to see how my faith can be woven into all aspects of my life, not just church and Bible study.
Q: What is your favorite memory as a Waynesburg student?
Some of my favorite memories involve participating in CSI camps and mock crime scenes for the CJ Department. Upperclassmen got to set up mock crime scenes and role play as criminal informants, witnesses, and characters in crime scene scenarios, and it was so much fun! Hiding balloons of fake drugs in the Crime Scene House, screaming at the top of my lungs as a “witness” in a Halloween crime scene, and helping high school students dig up a dead deer at CSI camp are some of the most memorable moments. These experiences also prepared me for my internship at the Marshall University Crime Scene House to set up mock crime scenes for West Virginia State Police Academy training and host the FBI for their crime scene training.
I also cannot go without mentioning friendships. I met my best friends my freshman year at Waynesburg. Not only are we all still friends, but the moments that we made while at Waynesburg are some we will never forget. I cherish the relationships that I made while I was there.
Q: Where has life taken you since graduating from Waynesburg University?
After I graduated in 2006, I went to graduate school at Marshall University in West Virginia. I graduated in 2008 with a Master of Science in Forensic Science with emphases in Chemistry and DNA. In April 2009, I accepted a position as a Forensic Chemist at the Food and Drug Administration’s Forensic Chemistry Center in Cincinnati, OH, where we analyzed evidence submitted by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigation. I participated in cases and research projects that had nationwide impact, including the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster. In June 2017, I started my current position with the Denver Police Department.
Q: Why is staying connected with your alma mater important to you?
The connections and networks that you build can unquestionably breed new opportunities. They are what strengthen you and challenge you and influence you. People that stay connected and become mentors and recruiters and advisors are vital to growing the new generations of graduates into leaders. Waynesburg had an enormously positive impact on my life, and I hope for the same for the current and future students.
Q: Who was your favorite professor at Waynesburg, and why?
Do I have to choose? The entire Criminal Justice Department is stellar. Professors like Adam Jack (also part of the Forensic Science program), John McIlwain and Dana Baer made an incredible impact on my life, and not just academically. They believed in me. They stretched and challenged me. They were invested. They cared about me, not only as one of their students, but also as a person, and their compassion did not go unnoticed. They also thoroughly enjoyed teaching; they thrived at it. I absolutely loved Mac’s classes. He made everything interesting, because he involved you. You role-played, you imagined it, you paid attention to the details, because he made you notice that they mattered. Professor Baer made the law interesting, and I still don’t quite understand how that’s possible. If it were not for Professor Jack’s encouragement as my advisor, I may not have gone on to get my master’s degree in Forensic Science at Marshall University (following in his footsteps), a path that has made connections that have shaped my entire career.
Q: What advice do you have for current students? For recent graduates?
Current students: don’t go home every weekend! Take advantage of the extracurricular activities that Waynesburg has to offer. Participate in events that go to Pittsburgh, weekend trips, school events and service opportunities. Not just for your resume (because that can help), but for your own personal growth and to make friends and memories! I remember going to hockey games, doing a high ropes course, seeing a Broadway show in Toronto, Canada, and serving with Habitat for Humanity. These experiences are what can give you a sense of connection and can make your experience at Waynesburg that much richer.
Also, find a mentor. Learn from them and their mistakes. Ask them questions. Take their advice. Let them encourage and speak life into you. Allow them space to see your strengths and weaknesses, and then improve yourself. Allow them to critique you in a safe space to learn how to navigate criticism. Squeeze every bit of knowledge and wisdom that they have.
Recent graduates, keep an open mind. If you would have told my senior Waynesburg self that I would be living in Denver as a Forensic Chemist, I would have scoffed at you. Especially the chemist part. I knew I wanted to go into Forensics, but I always thought I would be doing the crime scene/agent side of it. Yet, here I am. If you have an opportunity in your field, take it. You may not see the big picture of the impact it may make on you and your career. It can teach you things about yourself and grow you in ways you may not have imagined. Don’t hem yourself into a small box, because life doesn’t usually give you many chances that way.
