Forensic Science Display Receives “Best Overall Booth” Award at South Texas Career EXPO

The College of Science and Technology made a splash (or should that be “splatter”) at the seventh annual South Texas Career EXPO in Kingsville on March 30, 2007. The South Texas Career EXPO hosted approximately 2,000 students from about 20 regional high schools. Faculty and students from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College jointly developed interactive booths to illustrate careers in four areas related to science and technology: Biotechnology Careers, Forensic Science Careers, Health-Related Laboratory Careers (Clinical Laboratory Science and Medical Laboratory Technology) and Marine Careers (Marine Biology and Mariculture).

The Forensic Science Display, with its decomposing bodies, graphic video clips, brains and blood splatter, was selected by the high school students as the Best Overall Booth. Students from the Professional Practice in Forensic Science Class at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and students from the Department of Art and Drama at Del Mar College developed this booth, and enjoyed the chance to display some of their (suitably modified) class projects for a highly receptive audience. Students in the picture are: (Front Row) Rocelyn Chavez (Del Mar Theatre Arts), Bella Ruiz (TAMUCC Criminal Justice); (Back Row) Mari Marlow (TAMUCC Forensic Science), Yvette Valerio (TAMUCC Forensic Science), Priscilla Giles (TAMUCC Forensic Science), Kathy Alvarez (Riviera ISD; South Texas EXPO), Rick Overstreet (TAMUCC Forensic Science), Frank Escobedo (Texas Cooperative Extension Office, Kleberg/Kenedy Counties; South Texas EXPO), and Sarah Sheffield (TAMUCC Forensic Science).

Participating faculty and graduate students from the Department of Life Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi were Dr. David Moury, Ms. Ashlie Simmons and Dr. Christina Thompson; and participating faculty from the Department of Natural Sciences at Del Mar College were Mr. Albert Drumright, Dr. Jonda Halcomb, Dr. John Hatherill and Mr. Gary Igo. Other colleges and departments from both Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College also participated in this event.