![grf-sarah-lum.jpg Portrait of Sarah N. Lum](/sites/g/files/xyckuh171/files/styles/large/public/images/2019-06/grf-sarah-lum.jpg?itok=rfaEhq6C)
Sarah N. Lum is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame, where she is developing bioanalytical systems utilizing capillary zone electrophoresis, particularly with forensic applications. Sarah says, "At an institution without a forensics department, the NIJ GRF has been vital to my doctoral research. It has allowed me to pursue an original idea in developing a technology for rape kit analysis as my full-time dissertation work." She continues, "This award has opened the doors to a welcoming community of colleagues in academia, who have provided the collaborations necessary to carry out my project - along with encouragement, constructive feedback, and new perspectives on the field. Thanks to the holistic support from the NIJ GRF, I have been able to visit crime laboratories to gain vital feedback from analysts who have significantly influenced the optimization of my technology."