CSI Millbrook: Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell ’07 Visits Forensics Class
As a crime laboratory analyst working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell ’07 has a rewarding career that blends her biology expertise with an interest in forensics originally ignited by science teacher Gordie MacKenzie ’79.
Kaleigh’s interest in forensics was sparked by her exposure to the subject in Mac’s earliest class offering. After graduating from Millbrook, Kaleigh majored in biochemistry at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont and then earned a master's degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven in Connecticut. A stint as an intern with a medical examiner sharpened her interest in the investigative aspects of the field, leading her to work as a forensic technologist and now a crime laboratory analyst in Fort Myers, Florida.
First included as a small unit within a semester class called “Discovery In Science,” forensics piqued Mr. MacKenzie’s interest after exposure to the discipline as seen in popular crime shows and movies. He attended a seminar to learn more and developed the unit into a semester class that has grown into one of the most popular science electives at Millbrook.
On a recent trip to the area, Kaleigh visited Mr. MacKenzie’s current forensics section, discussed her professional journey, and encouraged students to be open to the possibilities of a career in science. At the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaleigh is an in-demand technician specializing in DNA and other biological analysis. Her work takes her from crime scenes to courtrooms as she participates in countless investigations and their aftermath.
In relating her role to the class, Kaleigh described real-world forensics and crime scene investigation, disabusing students of much of the misinformation seen in television crime shows. Like so many alums, Kaleigh has transformed an interest sparked at Millbrook into her life’s work. Her innate curiosity is a perfect fit for a career in which no two days are alike.
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Kaleigh’s interest in forensics was sparked by her exposure to the subject in Mac’s earliest class offering. After graduating from Millbrook, Kaleigh majored in biochemistry at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont and then earned a master's degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven in Connecticut. A stint as an intern with a medical examiner sharpened her interest in the investigative aspects of the field, leading her to work as a forensic technologist and now a crime laboratory analyst in Fort Myers, Florida.
First included as a small unit within a semester class called “Discovery In Science,” forensics piqued Mr. MacKenzie’s interest after exposure to the discipline as seen in popular crime shows and movies. He attended a seminar to learn more and developed the unit into a semester class that has grown into one of the most popular science electives at Millbrook.
On a recent trip to the area, Kaleigh visited Mr. MacKenzie’s current forensics section, discussed her professional journey, and encouraged students to be open to the possibilities of a career in science. At the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaleigh is an in-demand technician specializing in DNA and other biological analysis. Her work takes her from crime scenes to courtrooms as she participates in countless investigations and their aftermath.
In relating her role to the class, Kaleigh described real-world forensics and crime scene investigation, disabusing students of much of the misinformation seen in television crime shows. Like so many alums, Kaleigh has transformed an interest sparked at Millbrook into her life’s work. Her innate curiosity is a perfect fit for a career in which no two days are alike.
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