A voracious consumer of true crime shows, honors student Nathaniel Heskett hadn’t heard about the “CSI effect” until he came to Ohio Northern University.
The CSI effect occurs when jurors who watch television shows like CSI develop unrealistic expectations about the prevalence and accuracy of forensic evidence.
Now, the CSI effect and other ways that forensic evidence can lead to a wrongful conviction is what drives Nathaniel’s passion for science and justice.
At ONU, Nathaniel majored in forensic biology with minors in chemistry and pre-law. He was also a member of ONU's Honors program.
He is now attending law school at the University of Cincinnati, and has received an Ohio Innocence Project Legal Fellowship. He plans to pursue a law career focused on using forensic science not to convict, but to defend, working to ensure that evidence is used accurately and responsibly so that innocent people aren’t punished for crimes they didn’t commit.
Special honors projects, along with a summer internship with the Ohio Innocence Project, sparked his interest in the ethical issues surrounding forensic science. Honors contracts enabled him to explore topics beyond the classroom. He conducted research on gunshot residue analysis and ballistics, studied the biblical interpretations of incarcerated persons, and conducted a philosophical analysis of expert witness testimonies.
“The Honors Program gives you room to explore what you’re interested in without taking extra classes,” he said. “And professors are willing to work with you based on your interests.”
In addition to the Ohio Innocence Project, Nathaniel interned with the Lima Police Department, researching partial fingerprint recognition using automated biometric identification systems. For his senior capstone and honors capstone, he sought to uncover “what percentage of a fingertip is needed to get a reliable identification result.”
Nathaniel was a leader on ONU’s Mock Trial team, president of the Association of Future Forensic Professionals, vice president of Delta Delta Epsilon, a forensic honorary, and co-founder of the Ohio Northern Pre-Law Society.
“College helps you grow as a person. You learn a lot about who you are,” he said. “I’ve been greatly impacted by the relationships I’ve made at ONU. I’m proud I’ve been able to do so many different things and leave my mark.”