Randi Depp
Title: IB PhD Student
Dept/Program: Biology
Email: rmd113@zips.uakron.edu
Biography
My academic and career interests have long been interdisciplinary. At the University of Findlay, I obtained a Bachelor’s in Forensic Science with a concentration in DNA/serology and a second major in Criminal Justice Administration. Afterward, my professional roles included program assistant for a non-profit specializing in domestic violence services and legal assistant and paralegal at a law firm handling corporate medical and pharmaceutical product liability cases. I returned to school at Cleveland State University, where I completed a Bachelor’s in Biology with a minor in Anthropology. My goal was to find a way to apply biological principles to forensic contexts. At Mercyhurst University I obtained my Master’s in Biological and Forensic Anthropology. During that time, I was trained to apply forensic anthropological methods to real forensic cases. I also conducted research focused on taphonomy and the postmortem interval (PMI). This included the use of textile degradation and bacterial community succession to estimate PMI in forensic anthropological cases.
In the IB program, my goal is to continue to coalesce my diverse interests and experiences by examining forensic anthropological questions through a biology-driven perspective and providing alternative methods for estimating crime scene data. My current research investigates human skeletal variation and its role in forensic anthropological trauma analysis through a biomechanical lens via 3D imaging techniques.
Education
- M.S. Biological and Forensic Anthropology | Mercyhurst University
- B.S. Biology | Cleveland State University
- B.S. Forensic Science | The University of Findlay