A former forensic artist spoke to students about how creative individuals can work for the US government at an event on Wednesday.

The Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute collaborated with the Visual Arts and Humanities Department to invite Lisa Bailey, a retired forensic artist who served the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 18 years, to inform students about the field of forensic art and talk to students about her experiences in the field. Bailey attended the event virtually.

“We wanted to bring exposure [of a] different [career path] that combined both of our fields so that students could see an interdisciplinary connection,” Laura Pasquini, the visual arts and humanities program navigator, said. 

According to Darian Senn-Carter, the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice director, Pasquini met him at a traveling roadshow, where they discussed their backgrounds and decided to bring a forensic scientist to the college to show students “a unique pathway.”

“The field of criminal justice and homeland security is extremely broad,” Senn-Carter said. “Even our students are not aware of just how broad the career options are for them. … This was a way to … expose them to these opportunities.”

Pasquini said students are not “just artists,” but “creatives who need to make a living.”

“There are many jobs in the federal government that pay well,” Pasquini said. “It is my job to search these careers and help them understand what the pathway is.”

Fourth-year homeland security student Christian Doraisingh said the event was a “pleasure to see.”