Biology
Alumni Feature: Catie Hadlock
After I graduated, I wasn’t sure what jobs I wanted. I went into biology because the
field is so open, but that also meant I didn’t really have a goal for the kind of
job I was aiming toward. I knew I had two interests: insects and genetics. So after
just applying to some jobs, I landed one in West Tennessee, working for Monsanto Bayer
as an entomology lab tech. I enjoyed the work, but I didn’t enjoy living there, and
after talking to Dr. Hurt, I realized I would need to go back to school if I wanted
a career in forensics. I went to Syracuse University to get a forensic science master's
degree concentrating on DNA, but when I got there, I realized the job that was probably
more for me was firearms analysis. I have just completed one year of my master's program,
and with one more year before I graduate, I am working at the Metro Nashville crime
lab in the firearms section as an intern this summer.