Heather Zarsky (MFS 2003) didn't have to wait long after she graduated to gain global recognition in the law enforcement profession.
Ms. Zarsky, who currently conducts narcotics analysis for the Los Angeles Police Department's Scientific Investigation Division, made headline news around the world as an intern for the San Diego Police Department forensics laboratory while she was a student at National University.
Dr. Patrick O'Donnell, who supervised Ms. Zarsky as an intern, suggested along with his lab technician, Tami Ballard, that the master's student investigate the possibilities of capturing DNA evidence from food samples. O'Donnell had both read an article about a robbery in the Midwest where a detective collected a chicken carcass from the garbage and secured evidence that years later (with the advent of STR technology) lead to a conviction. Closer to home, the San Diego Police Department was in the process of trying use a pizza crust to place a suspect at the scene of a crime.
It seemed like a great topic for Ms. Zarsky's master's thesis. With help from her forensics lab colleagues and approval from her National Univesity instructor, Dr. Ismail Sebetan (head of the Forensic Science Program), she coordinated a potluck at the San Diego Police Department. "We put together a menu of what we thought might be interesting or that we would be likely to find at a crime scene," she said.
After everybody ate, Ms. Zarsky and her colleagues took cotton swabs, wetted them with water and rolled them along the bite marks in the leftover food where the lips, gum or teeth most likely had contact. By doing this, the National University alumnus hoped to collect DNA samples from dried saliva. The experiment was a big success. The most effective food for capturing DNA samples were pieces of pizza, cheese, carrots and apples. Interestingly, chocolate proved to be among the least effective,probably due to the small size of the samples involved. Still, it now appears that leftover food can provide valuable evidence at a crime scene and that information may help to prosecute burglars in the future.
The British weekly, New Scientist reported on Ms. Zarsky's findings, which in turn lead to media coverage by newspapers and periodicals throughout the world, including the Arabic television network Al Jazeera, and Channelnews Asia in Singapore. National Geographic's MadLab series is also in the process of working with Ms. Zarsky, the San Diego Police Department and National University to showcase the research in an upcoming television program.
"I've been very lucky with the opportunities I've been given," says Ms. Zarksy. "Without both the SDPD and National University, I wouldn't be where I am today," she asdds. National University hopes to promote continued relations with the San Diego Police Department as other MFS students have also interned in Dr. O'Donnell's forensics laboratory and benefitted from his highly qualified staff of criminalists.
Ms. Zarsky says the fame from all the media coverage hasn't impacted her too much. It isn't like people recognize her on the street and ask for her autograph. "Anyway, I would say that 95 percent of my job is in the lab," she said with a smile.
