Desire to Work in Lab Leads Graduate to Forensics

ATLANTA — When Anaiah Tanner-Barnes (B.S. ’24) filled out the application for her College Board exams, she wanted to be a chemical engineering major. Her goal was to work in a lab. She didn’t know exactly what she’d be doing in a lab other than working alone and helping others, but she was sure she’d thrive in that environment.

However, the private high school in New Jersey she attended did not offer the prerequisite classes for that major. When her mother suggested she go the chemistry route instead, she ran into other obstacles, like high tuition and the COVID-19 pandemic, which had shut down in-person classes — and labs. So, Tanner-Barnes took a series of science and math classes at her local community college for a year.

When Tanner-Barnes began applying to four-year colleges, she looked at campuses near family members around the country. With family in Riverdale, Ga., she chose Georgia State University for its chemistry program and the several accommodations it made for students during the pandemic. At that point, she did not envision she would go from chemistry to criminal justice.

Toward the end of her sophomore year, Tanner-Barnes was sitting in her dorm scanning the job boards for chemistry internships. When she came across the forensics listings, she was intrigued. For years she’d been a big fan of criminal investigation series and procedural dramas on TV.

“When I began researching forensics and the jobs that correlate with it, I realized this is what I wanted to do from the beginning for my career — work in a forensics lab,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how I’d do it, but I wanted to help people. Once I did further research on forensics, I stuck with it.”

When Tanner-Barnes made her decision, Georgia State did not have a forensics program. However, this year the B.S. in Criminal Justice added forensics to its curriculum.

“I went to my adviser to see if I could do a ‘bootleg’ version of forensics and added a minor in criminal justice to my studies,” she said. “I was looking at my graduation timing and wanted to lead with something in this field.”

A couple of months into her junior year, Tanner-Barnes switched her major to criminal justice and minor to chemistry. Later, she began applying for internships and ended up at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. There, in addition to shadowing deputies in departments like warrants, civil services and the jail, she was able to spend time in the crime scene investigations unit.

Weeks before her May 2 commencement, Tanner-Barnes was hired as a deputy sheriff for Cobb County. With her career just beginning, she’s excited about the directions it may take.

“My goal, eventually, is to work in forensics for the FBI,” she said. “I do plan to pursue a master’s program in chemistry and would like to get my degree in forensics, now that Georgia State offers it.”

She recommends the Criminal Justice Program at Georgia State to anyone considering the degree.

“The program has a lot to offer,” she said. “I was able to take my classroom education into the real world, especially with the internship. It’s very useful if you apply what you learn and take the time to ask a lot of questions and hear other stories. And I still get emails about different job opportunities from Dr. (Michael) Shapiro, our internship coordinator. They work hard to make sure we succeed.”