“This is what I want to do,” said New Britain sophomore Michelle De La Fuente. “I want to solve crimes.”

De La Fuente and her classmates, members of Hartford HealthCare’s Allied Health Pathway program, participated in hands-on forensic anthropology activities led by Lisa Kaplan, professor of biology and Jaime Ullinger, professor and director of anthropology.

Ullinger’s activities included learning about bones and assembling them, estimating the age and evaluating trauma such as gunshot wounds and broken bones on a skeleton.

“You had some bones that were given to you, how would you begin to assess what you have?” asked Prof. Jaime Ullinger. “How many individuals are there? What’s a rough age?”

Pretty intense subject matter?

“It’s not that creepy,” said New Britain sophomore Amalia Warkoski. “I kind of enjoy it. I’m interested in forensics for my future.”

Hilary Bristol, who teaches biomedical science at New Britain High, said Hartford HealthCare’s Allied Health Pathway program began a decade ago as an initiative to bring advanced classes to the school.

“It’s all hands-on, which the kids love,” Bristol added. “They don’t want to sit there listening to lectures. And that’s what I love about the biomedical science program is that it’s all hands-on.”

The New Britain students also toured Quinnipiac and got to meet deans and students to learn more about the university.

“It is a great opportunity for the high school students to gain hands-on experience and get information about QU and what the university has to offer,” Ullinger said. “It is also great for the Quinnipiac students to work with the high school students and apply what we are learning about in class.”