Susan is a student in Ashworth College’s online program in Nutrition, Diet, and Science.

In this candid video, Susan discusses how she’s applying the knowledge gained through her coursework to stay motivated and live healthier.

With all the attention given to forensic science in recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in this field. You should definitely feel inspired to be learning about this field at such an exciting time of growth and development! The courts have come to expect more from the forensic science community in respect to our capabilities, while at the same time applying more scrutiny to the analytical procedures and techniques utilized for the examination of evidence. Forensic labs are developing new techniques and utilizing new technology all the time to examine and make comparisons of forensic evidence. Many of these processes have allowed a level of comparison and identification not possible before and they have also created situations where procedures have been challenged in court as being “too new” or not “generally accepted”. The DNA examination procedures employed today went through this process a few years ago. Some newer DNA techniques such as “low copy number DNA” and Y-STR analysis are now being challenged in cases where they have been applied.

One bright light through all the criticism about the shallow attention given to forensic science research is the FBI’s Forensic Science Research and Training Center. This facility has established key research programs that have encouraged the standardization of many scientific procedures used by forensic labs throughout the U.S. Over my career, I have attended several training classes sponsored by this training center. I have also attended international symposiums sponsored by the FBI in which forensic scientists from all over the world were invited to attend and share information on the latest analytical techniques for conducting forensic examinations. The FBI is very involved in the establishment and maintenance of a variety of reference collections or databases in an effort to provide information which can help define the significance of the comparison of class materials.

I’ll close this blog by encouraging you to pursue your interests in this amazing field. Ashworth College’s forensic science covers a broad spectrum of the science of forensics and by now you should know that there is much more that can be learned. If you are taking this course because you were just curious to know more about forensics, then no doubt, you should have a much better understanding of the different aspects of forensic science and how the “real thing” is different from what is portrayed in the popular television programs. (more…)

As leaders in the online education field, our faculty and staff here at Ashworth College believe it’s very important to continuously innovate dynamic ways to communicate with our student community. Our Ashworth College “Live” Events initiative has proven to be quite a hit and has helped us take our vision in exciting new directions, which is why we continue to exponentially increase the number and frequency of these events every month. These events are terrific opportunities to interact with Instructors on the cutting edge of their field and gain career advancement insights that only a true expert can provide.

In addition to our career training oriented chats, we host weekly student orientation chats that are open to existing students and anyone else simply interested in learning more about what Ashworth College is all about. The orientation chat allows you to get all of your questions answered and issues resolved by an Ashworth Student Advisor via “live” video stream. You don’t even need a web cam to participate—just show up and gain plenty of valuable personal, educational, and career advice to help you get ahead!

We’re adding new events on a daily basis, so please check out the Ashworth College Event Calendar for the latest information. Thanks everyone!

Original image courtesy of JoeBehrSoCal.

As students in the Fashion Retailing Program, I’d like to get your feedback on the influence of celebrities on fashion. As a former dress buyer, I often think of this question in relation to the Oscars and other major awards shows, when everyone quickly tries to copy the dresses that were hot for prom—from a silhouette to color. Hairstyles, shoes, and accessories are also scrutinized to see what is hot and what is not. Fashion has consistently defined some of the most memorable moments in Hollywood award shows from Jennifer Lopez a few years back with a dress that was barely there to Bjork’s infamous swan dress. The tradition continues with pop icons such as Lady Gaga, whose’ highly experimental style and perpetually evolving fashion identify on is perhaps even more trend setting than her music.

Here’s the fundamental question: How do you think celebrity styles translate to the mass market and how much influence, in terms of affecting consumer buying behavior and what’s culturally hot, do these celebrities ultimately have in your opinion? On a personal level, do celebrities influence your style? Let me know why or why not this is the case. I look forward to reading your feedback. Thanks everyone!

Kimberly Schorr
Fashion Retailing Instructor
Ashworth College