This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Dr. Jasmine M. Drake, a forensic scientist, assistant professor at Texas Southern University, and one of our inaugural fellows for our Fellowship for the Future program. Her fellowship project — STEM-U-SPHERE — is a CSI-themed summer science training academy at the Texas Southern University Forensic Science Learning Laboratory for middle school girls from disenfranchised communities around Houston, TX. In this interview, she shares her journey to STEM education, her melding of chemistry with criminal justice reform, and her vision for STEM-U-SPHERE.
When did you first identify as a scientist?
I think I’ve always had a natural interest in learning the “how” and “why” things work. Growing up in an inner-city neighborhood, I was fortunate to have a strong Black Mother, who valued and stressed the importance of education to me and my siblings. Although our community was plagued with social-economic disparities, crime, and a lack of educational resources, I watched my Mother make personal sacrifices to provide us with scientific tools, such as a library of hardcopy and online encyclopedias, computers, and STEM learning video games, which had an invaluable impact on my development as a scientist.
I then realized that I had a gift and love of sharing this knowledge in easily digestible ways to my friends, whose parents were unable to provide some of these same resources to them. I also a participated in hands-on learning opportunities, such as in the “Young Astronauts Club” at my local elementary school, which allowed students to explore physics and astronomy and to visit several of the NASA Space Centers facilities around the country. These opportunities were very influential in shaping my confidence in my scientific knowledge and abilities and in exposing me to the idea of pursuing STEM career pathways.
As I reflect, I guess I have always been a scientist. I think that there was always a seed there, but it had to be nurtured, watered, and allowed to grow.
What does your research look like today?
Currently, I am entering into a very exciting time with my research. Traditionally, my research has focused on the hard sciences with my body of work primarily describing the synthesis of novel scientific materials, new analytical methods, drug discoveries, crystallography, and various forensic science applications. However, my research as a forensic scientist is now evolving into a new space that is focused on addressing social issues, such as criminal justice reform, mass incarceration, drug policy, and officer involved fatalities of minorities, as well as how they impact disenfranchised communities.
The research and work you do have such critical implications specifically for Black Americans in the United States and the history of mass-incarceration. As a Black woman, what does that mean for you?
We are in an unprecedented time when mass incarceration, racial injustice, and social-economic disparities in the U.S. have reached a fever-pitch. As a Black woman in forensic science, I feel it is important that my work be used to provide an evidence base to support criminal justice reform and policy implementation. From a historical perspective, mass incarceration, police brutality and wrongful convictions have plagued minorities at disparate rates in the U.S. I believe that real and effective change can only be achieved by increasing diversity and representation and providing “a seat at the table” for those whose unique narratives are often not included when discussing a path forward with criminal justice reform in this country.
Dr. Jasmine Drake teaching forensic science to a classroom of middle school students.
What does your project for the fellowship center on and how do you envision future success?
My STEM-U-Sphere Project for the 500 Women Scientists Fellowship for the Future focuses on increasing diversity and inclusivity in STEM by providing hands-on laboratory training to middle school girls from disenfranchised communities in the Houston Metropolis. Since Black people make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but only 3% of all STEM workforce positions, it is important that we increase representation in these fields. This project will also expose students to forensic science concepts and applications, which will allow students to apply knowledge from various disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, digital evidence technology, and engineering. I envision my project as a catalyst in sparking student confidence and empowering their interest in exploring STEM Career pathways, which offer opportunities for entrepreneurship and upward economic mobility.
We know your pride and joy is your daughter, a beautiful Black girl. Tell us how your career and educational path have shaped how you teach her about navigating her own educational path and aspirations?
Being the Mother of a beautiful, Black girl is not only a source of pride, but also one of my life’s greatest joys and responsibilities. We live in a world that is filled with social injustices, such as racism, colorism, gender inequality, and racial disparities. I feel that it is my job to make sure that I empower my daughter with confidence and the tools to combat these obstacles in navigating her own educational path and aspirations. Though I am biased and would love for my daughter to pursue a career in STEM, I try to make sure that while I introduce her to STEM- based concepts and hands-on experiences, I also allow her to follow her own interests and talents. Since many of the skills that she learns from these exercises — such as literacy, problem solving, and scientific inquiry — are transferrable across multiple disciplines, it is my hope that she will learn to think outside of the box and use creativity and innovation to be a change agent in the future.
When you’re not busy with your research and outreach efforts, how do you take time to rest and recharge?
As a faculty member, researcher, wife, and mother, it can be very challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Oftentimes, I have found that the demands of my responsibilities at work and in the home allow little time for self-care. There were even times when I felt guilty for taking any extra time to do things for myself. However, I have learned that I have to create small pockets of time for relaxing by either reading, going for a swim, or taking a dance class. After a series of epic fails resulting in serious burn-outs from not taking time for myself, I have realized that recharging is essential in allowing me to be a better me — both professionally and personally.
Jasmine M. Drake, PhD, is a Graduate Program Director and an assistant professor in the Administration of Justice Department in the Barbara Jordan- Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University in Houston, TX. Drake has over 10 years of experience in the field of forensic science and currently serves as a Governor-appointed commissioner on the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Previously, Drake worked as a forensic chemist at the Drug Enforcement Administration, where her primary professional responsibilities included controlled substance identification, quality control testing, and the analysis of evidence submitted by law enforcement officials. Drake’s research projects focus on the development of reliable and objective methods for the collection and analysis of seized drug evidentiary materials in an effort to mitigate the effects of cognitive bias and the unreliable use of forensic feature- comparative methods, such as DNA, latent print analysis, ballistic test interpretations, bite-mark comparisons, and hair and fiber testing, which are contributing factors to the large number of wrongful convictions that have disproportionally plagued fragile communities. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of forensic analytical methods and their resulting expert witness testimonies with the goal of identifying and recommending best practices for policy implementations that will support criminal justice reform and combat mass incarceration.