Your team has made some outstanding contributions to the advancement of forensic science.  They've devised new methods for extracting DNA from samples, for enhancing bloody fingerprints, and for estimating blood volume at a crime scene.  They've also highlighted the role of forensic biochemistry.  Can you tell us more?

It's very important that everybody work together, because the forensic field is a lonely and difficult field.  You need everybody to push together.  Over the years we achieved three most important things: 

1. The public recognizes forensics as a field; they understand better what it is.  They used to think we were in forestry or involved in foreign affairs.
2.  We've made a tremendous contribution to the forensic literature.  There used to only be one book on criminalistics, and today there are so many more good forensic scientists contributing to the research and to making better textbooks for younger people to study.  We used to be afraid of putting down information because if we taught everyone else, we might be out of a job.  Now more scientists share their results. 
3. People are more interested in forensics and more good students are getting inspired to major in forensics.  That might get the justice department to put more resources into forensics, which will bring more justice to our society.

Teleforensics is a new technology that puts you at the crime scene, even though you may be halfway around the world.  It digitizes information and sends it over telephone lines or bounces it off satellites so that multiple experts can network with one another.  What are you currently doing with teleforensics?

The sole of a shoe (AP)

With teleforensics, if I'm away, the officers in Connecticut can show me a crime scene.  I used to have to fly back right away to help them out.  With teleforensics, they can capture the crime scene image and send it to me where I am.  If I'm in Florida, they can send it to Florida, and we can work together.  I can see the scene clearly and give them suggestions and help make the analysis.  For example, with an arson scene, we can capture the vapor and do the analysis before the investigator leaves the scene.  I can tell if it's gasoline, kerosene or any other accelerant.  Or if there's a shoe print, we can capture the image quickly and search our database to narrow down the type of shoe.  A fingerprint can be put into our AFIS system search.  We need more funding to develop this technology, but it does give us a better window of opportunity for solving cases.

What tips do you have for young people interested in going into forensic science as a career?

A lot of young people come to see me from high schools and junior high.  I'm booked now for speeches through the year 2006.  I want to share with them both my life experience and my forensic experience.  I came to this country with only $50 in my pocket.  I didn't speak English.  This country provided the opportunity for me to learn to grow.  It's the only country in the world where if you work hard, you can prove yourself.  The first tip I give them is that they have to work hard and prove themselves.  The forensic field is not lucrative.  You cannot become wealthy like an MBA sports star with a $6 million contract.  You work with a very small salary.  If you want to be challenged, it's the right field. 

Dr. Henry C. Lee  (State of Connecticut)

You have to have a good science background.  You also have to learn to use deductive and inductive logic.  You need to have curiosity.  You can't have an 8-to-4 attitude.  I never have a day where I go home at 4:00.  If I get home in the middle of the night, that's fine.  You have to have that persistence.  Then you need an attitude, that you do your best.  Win, lose, draw, you don't care.  Don't let public opinion pressure you.  Don't let the police pressure you.  Don't let anything pressure you to do something unethical.  Then you can survive and become one of the best forensic scientists.