Notable Forensic Alumni Chelsea Botsford

Chelsea Botsford, BA Forensic Psychology 2012

Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Chelsea is currently a Special Agent with the FBI, which is what she’s wanted to do since she was very young. After graduation she received a Master’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of North Dakota, then enrolled in the police academy and served as a deputy sheriff with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. She said it is rewarding to help people and keep them safe through her work at the FBI, but it was challenging preparing for the physical fitness test and training at Quantico for five months away from her family.

“Attending Florida Tech gave me the knowledge and the tools I needed to begin a career in law enforcement right out of college. Because of my career as a police officer, I was able to become a Special Agent in the FBI. Dr. Vanessa Edkins and Dr. Julie Costopoulos were integral to my success at Florida Tech. Dr. Edkins assisted me with my senior research project and also gave me the information on the graduate program at UND. She was also very helpful with anything I ever needed, such as writing me a letter of recommendation for an internship I completed with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Dr. Costopoulos was very passionate about forensic psychology and I was lucky enough to be chosen as her undergraduate assistant for part of my time in the program. I was very lucky to have these professors and really all of the psychology department at Florida Tech. It was a very good program and I really enjoyed my classes and instructors.”