Get to Know Your Officers: Dana Formon

Ever wonder who is behind all of those #SomethingfunSunday posts? Well, wonder no longer. Meet Dana Formon, your Communications Officer. Dana works hard to keep you all up to date via our Twitter and Facebook accounts as just one of her many responsibilities on the Student Committee. On top of being a hard worker, she is very friendly and committed to our student members. Keep an eye out for her at the upcoming March conference!

What first got you interested in law and psychology?
My first interest in this field was actually when our Student Chair, Meghann Galloway, TA’d the lab portion of my Intro to Psychology course at Drexel University (for real!).  On the first day of class she told us about her experiences interning at the FBI and I just remember being really interested in her experience and wanted the same for myself.  With her help, I was able to join a forensic research lab on campus and it was history from there!  I have just always found every aspect of this psychology-law really interesting, which was meaningful to me, so I decided to stick with it.

If you weren't in graduate school, what would you be doing instead? 
I’d want to travel with either the Peace Corps or Remote Area Medical.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I used to be a part-time professional modern dancer, so I have a knack for anything related to physical activity (except playing DDR for some reason).  I really enjoy doing half-marathons, full marathons, and multi-sport events…but I don’t know if you could consider them talents perse because I think anyone is capable of doing those things.  :)

What is your favorite thing about being on the Student Committee?
The people I work with!  I find that more always gets accomplished when you have a group in charge, and I love how we get together to share ideas and make fun things happen for AP-LS and especially the student members of AP-LS.  Everyone on the committee always has great things to bring to the table and our fearless leader has a really great vision for how we can improve upon what the Student Committee does for it’s members.

What is your favorite thing about AP-LS?
I really like the networking opportunities you get.  I feel like the AP-LS Conference is the one place where I can listen to a research presentation, get really excited, and then run up to the researcher after the fact and just start throwing around questions and ideas.  I feel like our field at large is really interesting, and the people who do the really interesting research are always very helpful and wonderful to talk to.  If you ask one question about someone’s research, chances are it’ll turn into an amazing 15-minute conversation and lots of potential for collaboration.

What is one of your professional goals?
I want to be able to tie my forensic interests into my hobbies.  I love animals, and I love running…so a professional goal I have for myself would definitely be to either begin a K9 rehabilitation program in a correctional facility (since that’s already something some facilities do), or to start an exercise program or running club for offenders (or ex-offenders as part of a rehabilitation program).  If I could achieve both, I’d die so very happy