About the Author

          My name is Kristen Wertzler.  I am a senior student at Monmouth College in Monmouth Illinois.  For as long as I can remember I have always been fascinated with people.  I’m interested in the thoughts and actions that people have.  I find myself wondering quite often why people do what they do and why they think the way that they think.  What exactly motivates a person to behave and be the type of person that they are?  It is because of these fascinations that I choose to major in psychology and sociology/anthropology.

       For my senior issues course, Biotechnology and Human Values, I chose forensics as my topic because it is such a fascinating field.  I love to watch television shows like CSI, Law and Order, Profiler, and the Forensic Files.  I am fascinated with learning how investigators can catch criminals, especially serial killers.  I have read quite a few books by John Douglas, the legendary head of the FBI's investigative support unit.  I chose to specifically look at microbial forensics, because it relates to Biotechnology and Human Values.  I thought it would be highly interesting for me and my class to learn how investigators search for bioterrorists. 

         I chose to look at the psychology of terrorism because it was a way for me to combine my love for psychology with bioterrorism.  I also chose the psychology of terrorism because it was a topic that I have not learned much about.  This project proved to be an excellent opportunity to learn about a whole new discipline in psychology.