Dallas Mosier Profile

Ms. Dallas Mosier

Chemistry and Criminal Justice Major, Class of 2016

 
Towanda, PA

Dallas’ Story

Eight-year-old Dallas Mosier wants to be a forensic scientist when she grows up. 

Fast forward 14 years, and you will find her still in full pursuit of her dreams.

As senior at Saint Francis University, Dallas double majored in chemistry and criminal justice. While the two seem like very different fields of study, Dallas says there are more similarities than you might think.

“They both focus on following the data, and I think that is what I enjoy so much,” Dallas said. “Whether it is chemistry or criminal justice, the main goal is to ask questions about things that intrigue you or things you do not understand and then find ways to answer your questions.”

Entering Saint Francis as a freshmen, enrolling as a chemistry major was an easy choice for Dallas. It was a field she had been passionate about since her first general chemistry class in high school. But after taking her first criminal justice/sociology class, she began to realize how much the field interested her. 

“I thought it would be beneficial for me to add the criminal justice major because having a background in the criminal justice field gives me a unique perspective,” Dallas said. “Now I can see situations from both a scientific and a sociological perspective.”

Her interest in the field, and her aspirations of becoming a forensic scientist are what eventually led Dallas to her internship at the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute (HSSAI) in Washington, D.C. While there, she spent 10 weeks working on a qualitative research project about pre-attack indicators for houses of worship.

“This project was intriguing because I had never researched anything close to this topic before. I met several people who were crucial to the research I was conducting, and my research partner and I were able to interview a former FBI special agent, a CIA cybersecurity analyst, a Secret Service agent, several law enforcement professionals, house of worship security team members, and many others,” Dallas said. “My time at HSSAI was very eye-opening. I learned a lot about conducting research and how government agencies work together in an effort to keep our country safe.”

Since her graduation from Saint Francis in 2016, Dallas has gone on to attend grad school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where she is seeking a master’s degree in criminology.