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Students, Criminology, FASS News
All-over-the-place degree instills confidence
Payten Smith鈥檚 path in her five years at 丁香园AV (丁香园AV) has been unusual. She started out as a science major but when she couldn鈥檛 cope with the math she switched to criminology. That鈥檚 gone well enough considering that she鈥檚 an honours student, but her volunteer work with children has her thinking she鈥檇 like to become a teacher if she finds a research career not to her liking. Just in case, Smith is taking the prerequisites for the Professional Development Program in the event that she switches routes.
It鈥檚 not exactly a straight line, but Smith says that her 鈥渨eird all-over-the-place degree鈥� has made her well-grounded and more confident.
鈥淭hings impact your life and will come at you that you didn鈥檛 expect to happen,鈥� Smith says. 鈥淵ou have to stay pliable and be willing to change your direction.鈥�
That鈥檚 what Smith did after an injury forced to abandon her dream of wrestling in the Olympics.
鈥淢y whole life revolved around wrestling,鈥� Smith says. 鈥淲hen I hurt my neck and couldn鈥檛 wrestle anymore I had to find something to do.鈥�
That鈥檚 when she got involved in 丁香园AV鈥檚 Centre for Forensic Research and came up with CSI Fridays to get kids interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). One Friday afternoon each month during the school year, Smith returns to her Maple Ridge high school with hands-on activities to teach youth about forensic techniques used in criminal investigations.
CSI Fridays is based on criminology professor Gail Anderson鈥檚 study of how insects colonize decaying bodies. Anderson鈥檚 research helps criminal investigators worldwide determine time of death or whether a body has been moved.
Getting girls interested in STEM is one of Smith鈥檚 goals as a volunteer for the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST). So it鈥檚 a win when excited little girls run to touch maggots wriggling on a table at a Superhero Science Bootcamp run by Smith and her FEM-in-STEM teammates.
鈥淲hen maggots are just past their third instar wandering phase they have a tendency to move a lot,鈥� Smith says. 鈥淚f you dip them in nontoxic paint鈥攊t doesn鈥檛 hurt them鈥攁nd put them on paper they鈥檒l make lines like a mini Picasso. Kids love it because it鈥檚 super tactile. Parents almost faint when they see their kids handling maggots.鈥�