PIKESVILLE, Md. — February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
In Maryland, women are leading the way in helping to solve crimes. No where is that more apparent than with the Maryland State Police forensic team, which is made up of 80% women.
Annabella Bair is the latest to join the trace evidence team.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. This is the end game of what I wanted to do,” she said.
But it didn’t happen by accident, or frankly overnight. She began studying biology while attending Loyola University.
There, she found forensics, which she now has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in. But she also found much more— camaraderie.
Along the way, Bair met MSP forensic scientist supervisor Diane Lawder, and the rest is history.
“We’re so thankful that she's here,” Lawder said.
“Diane is like my work mom, honestly,” Bair said. “I met her during a talk she was giving while I was on my college campus. I kind of ran after her because I really wanted an internship and it's very competitive.”
Bair not only got that internship, but ended up full time with state police last November.
“It’s fantastic,” Lawder said. “We love to see girls in science and younger generations wanting to do this. It’s very empowering and inspirational.”
Bair is still in training, currently studying the difference between animal and human hair to determine if it's eligible for DNA testing. She’s got a lot of disciplines to master before she’ll be on her own, but she’s already knows what her favorite part of the job is: being a part of something bigger than herself.
“It's not just you or me, it's us producing reliable quality work that is going to make some impact," Bair said.
“It’s very rewarding knowing that we are able to help keep Maryland safe,” Lawder said.
