Every year, graduates from the College of Letters & Science enter the workforce and begin to contribute thousands of dollars to their local, state, and national economies. They bring the skills and knowledge they gained at UW-Milwaukee to their jobs, along with their ambitions and fresh perspectives.
In this new article series, we will highlight some of the recent Letters & Science alumni who have found fulfilling roles in their chosen fields.
Name: Sana Shakir
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Biochemistry; certificate in Forensic Science
Job: DNA Analyst at the Wisconsin State Crime Lab
Any true crime aficionado knows that DNA is often the key piece of evidence needed to crack a case.
What they may not know is how that DNA goes from a blood spatter or saliva sample into a useful piece of evidence. It’s all thanks to the work of scientists like UWM alumna Sana Shakir, who is a DNA analyst at the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. She is still completing her training to become a fully authorized analyst, but she’s excited to be part of Wisconsin’s justice system.
The Wisconsin State Crime Lab processes dozens of pieces of evidence each day from crime scenes across the state. Different departments handle different materials: gunpowder residue, fingerprints, illicit substances, trace chemicals, and yes, DNA. The lab’s technicians and analysts are routinely called to testify in court cases about their expertise and findings.
DNA analysts, in particular, use specialized equipment to first determine the quantity of DNA present in a sample and then copy and run a profile of the genome. It’s tricky to get right; too much or too little DNA in a sample needs to be mitigated.
“Our instruments, we can overblow them. Or if we get a sample that doesn’t have much DNA on it, we might run it, and we don’t get many results,” Shakir explained. “Every sample is different. If I had a blood stain on a t-shirt, that would have to be diluted if I want a good profile, but if it was just DNA from skin cells left behind, that would likely take the full sample or a very small dilution.”
In addition to learning how to use the lab’s instruments and construct DNA profiles, Shakir is also learning how to document chains of custody, maintain proper security for evidence, and adhere to confidentiality protocols so as not to taint investigations. The Crime Lab mainly handles current criminal cases, but the analysts sometimes find themselves examining evidence from cold cases in hopes that they can make a breakthrough.
Though she has a bit farther to go in her training, the job has already fulfilled Shakir’s career aspirations. She and her family moved from Iraq when Shakir was a child to settle in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where she dreamed of someday becoming a forensic scientist. She chose UWM not only for its proximity, but also because of its stellar research opportunities. She’s always been interested in science, but couldn’t decide whether she wanted to major in biology or chemistry – so she split the difference and chose a biochemistry major, which paired nicely with UWM’s certificate in forensic studies.
“I definitely do think it helped (land this job) along with my research background and at UWM,” Shakir said. “I was able to use those as markers of good writing experience, presentation skills, and having experience in forensics.”
Thanks to her biochemistry education, she’ll soon be helping to solve crimes and deliver justice – and perhaps teaching true crime aficionados how it’s done.
Are you a recent graduate who found a job in a field related to your major? Let us know, and you might be featured in an upcoming edition of the In Focus newsletter—email svickery@uwm.edu for more information.
By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science