FELLOW OF THE YEAR - 2009
Robert E. Gaensslen
Director and Professor of Graduate Studies for Forensic Science and Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences
The Honors College is proud to announce that Dr. Robert E. Gaensslen is its 2008-2009 Fellow of the Year.
Dr. Gaensslen is a professor in the Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and is the Director of the UIC Forensic Science Program. He has been an Honors College Fellow for over three years and was nominated for the award by his mentee Courtney Sinkuler who is finishing up her degree in Chemistry. Sinkular will be entering the Forensic Science graduate program at UIC in the fall.
“Each semester, Dr. Gaensslen has been extremely eager to help me find the most interesting and beneficial Honors College project to complete. He helped me to see the Honors College project requirement in a new light. For example, during fall 2008, Dr. Gaensslen arranged for to me take a Forensic Science graduate school course (BPS 850)…the material I learned was unlike anything I had ever been taught before, and it really helped further my knowledge in the field of forensics,” Sinkuler wrote in her nomination.
“This past year, Dr. Gaensslen was exceptionally helpful in guiding me through the graduate school application process and making sure that I fulfilled all of its requirements. Dr. Gaensslen has helped me turn by dream of attending graduate school and becoming a forensic scientist into a reality.”
Dr. Gaensslen has a PhD from Cornell University and his areas of interest include the examination of biological evidence, identification and individualization of blood, body fluid, and tissue evidence, DNA typing and applications of DNA technology to forensic science, and forensic laboratory approaches to assessing and addressing the drug-facilitated sexual assault problem. When he found out about his honor he said “I was bowled over. It's such a nice honor, and especially since it comes from a student.”
Part of what Dr. Gaensslen enjoys about being at UIC is the position he is in to be a bridge for students from their undergraduate study to master’s work in Forensic Science. “We are nitty-gritty preparing people to enter the profession. They are all very bright, high-achieving chemistry & biochemistry majors, and are great to work with and help them get ready to be forensic scientists. Some of them (maybe 1/4) go on to PhD programs . . . also something we can be proud to have been part of.”
Honors College alumna Gina Giglio also had Dr. Gaensslen as her fellow and now works closely with him while completing her masters in Forensic Science at UIC. “He helped guide me through undergrad to help me select classes that would be beneficial for my career. Once I was admitted to the Graduate Program, he helped me secure funding for my education and plan out my coursework. Right now he is serving as an adviser for my research project. All in all, he has made a tremendous impact on my life and I will never forget all that he has done over the past several years.”
Dr. Gaensslen tries his best to motivate his students and impress upon them the importance of good Forensic scientists. “The work you are going to do in forensic science is extremely important. It can mean incarceration or freedom to someone accused in a criminal matter. We need to help insure that our science serves the interests of justice in a fair and unbiased way. Nothing we could do in life has more significance.”
Each year the Honors College honors one of her fellows with the Fellow of the Year Award. Dr. Gaensslen is one out of a pool of over 230 viable candidates. He received his award at the Honors College Convocation May 6, 2009 at 6 p.m. the UIC Forum.