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LIFE-CHANGING: Dr. Candice Bridge

DR. CANDICE Bridge, the University of Central Florida’s first black female chemistry instructor, has received a prestigious grant to study rape-investigation methods.

Atlanta Black Star reports that Dr. Bridge received $324,000 from the National Institute of Justice to review methods for catching suspects of sexual-assault crimes outside of DNA evidence. The grant will give Bridge access to exclusive tools utilised by the FBI and government laboratories.

In a statement, Dr. Bridge said: “This grant will enable us to conduct research into a unique new means of identifying perpetrators of sexual assault when traditional DNA evidence doesn’t exist.”

“It’s an important line of research that has become even more important as rapists attempt to elude capture by covering their DNA tracks after an assault.”

Bridge has also been granted an award, which will allow her to study the ways the body breaks down lubricants before forensic investigations can occur. The professor has been a pioneer in her field, as one of the first people with a forensic Ph.D in the country, which she earned at 25-years-old.

She was also the first black woman to teach chemistry at Howard University and the University of Central Florida.