DALLAS, Pa. — A student who began his academic career at Penn State Wilkes-Barre is serving a forensic science internship in Washington, D.C.
Steven Qarmout, a fourth-year student now at University Park, is interning with the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, located in the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory.
“I am excited to learn more about the inner workings of a forensic laboratory and contribute to the important work being done here,” said Qarmout, a graduate of Dunmore High School. “This internship program will allow me to gain hands-on experience in forensic science and work alongside professionals in the field.”
He is majoring in forensic science with a chemistry minor with the ultimate goal of a position in conducting drug analysis and toxicology testing. Qarmout’s internship is in the Crime Science Unit of the department, where he is able to put what he is learning in his courses to use, he said. He is part of a group of seven interns who assist with case files, review previous cases, take notes and go to crime scenes with detectives or forensic scientists from the lab. At crime scenes, the department often works with the Metropolitan Police Department to ensure the safety of the scene.
“We are able to learn from actual live events, things like how to take photos of vehicles involved in a crime scene and how to find fingerprints on a car,” he said. “In one case, we went to a police department that had a car that was involved in a drive-by shooting and looked at bullet trajectories to try to find out where the shooter was coming from and what the shooter might have been targeting. In this real-life event, I knew just what to do from what I have learned at Penn State.”
Last summer, Qarmout interned with the Lackawanna County Coroner’s Office. He also participated in the Science Dean’s Scholar Program, which allowed him to meet peers at University Park and gain knowledge in his field. At the conclusion of the program, he and his peers created a club designed to mentor change-of-campus students coming to Eberly College of Science and assist them with their transition, both academically and socially. He also serves as a course assistant for a 100-level forensics course and is a member of the Forensic Science Club and Forensic Science Honor Society.
Qarmout said the Science Dean’s Scholar Program Program was a great way to help him transition from a smaller campus like Wilkes-Barre to University Park.
“There were a lot of people who shared a similar experience, so I was able to bond with them,” he said. “Thanks to that program, when the fall semester started, I automatically had people I could connect with. Right off the bat, I knew I had others I could reach out to if I needed.”
While he said he misses the small class sizes and close connections with professors at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, he continues to work on research with faculty members Rebecca Sarver, assistant teaching professor of criminal justice and coordinator of the criminal justice program, and Jeremy Olson, assistant professor of criminal justice. As part of Qarmout’s work-study research, he twice attended the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences annual meeting with Sarver and Olson to present their research. He is currently working on another paper with them on the topic of demographics and how they influence a person’s satisfaction with their life and overall happiness.
“This will be my fourth year doing research with Dr. Sarver and Dr. Olson. I have a great connection with them and enjoy the research tremendously,” Qarmout said. “I was very shy when I started college and they taught me that you have to go out into the world and experience things. They made me feel more confident in myself and able to go on adventures and put myself out there.”
Those adventures now include living and working in the nation’s capital. While spending the summer in Washington, D.C., Qarmout said he has been enjoying exploring the city and taking in all it has to offer.
“I enjoy big cities and I love this area. Many times, I just go out in the city and adventure around. If there’s something that piques my interest, I’ll go check it out,” he said, naming The Wharf and local coffeeshops as some of the highlights for him so far.
“My time at two different campuses, both big and small, showed me that living in an area can teach you what you really value about that area,” Qarmout said. “For me, it’s a sense of community and welcoming. In my department, wherever you’re from, they make you feel welcome. I had that same sense of feeling welcome during my time at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.”
Going from Wilkes-Barre to University Park to Washington, D.C., Qarmout is happy about the path he chose with Penn State’s 2+2 Plan and is excited for his future.
“I think the 2+2 Plan is the best thing. You get to experience both a small campus and a big campus. For me, every step of the way has been a great experience in learning and getting to where you are now,” he said. “You can even end up in a big city like I am now. That truly shows that you can go from something small to something big. Now that I’m doing this internship, I know this is exactly what I want to do. I’m happy to be gaining experience here and hope to get a position within this department when I graduate.”