Fascinated by how science can be applied to protect the safety of many, Velda Iskandar is currently in the route of fulfilling her lifelong purpose in becoming a Forensic Chemist. Iskandar attends the University of Central Florida, majoring in Forensic Science and minoring in Chemistry. She received a Model UN Excellence Scholarship for her college admission from the UNESCO Center for Peace based on her essay titled "Becoming a True Global Citizen” and her academic excellence.
As a teenager, Iskandar’s passion for writing was discovered and honed by an A-Level English teacher. In 2016, she was awarded an Honor Medal dedicated to Champion Writers at the World Scholar's Cup in both Regional Round in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Global Round in Bangkok, Thailand. Velda persisted on her passion for writing in college, where she had joined Her Campus online magazine that is dedicated to college students and had been awarded the Her Campus Editor’s Choice Award in 2019.
Iskandar has joined the National Center for Forensic Science in late 2019 as a research intern. Her research project revolves around leveraging glitter and shimmer particles in cosmetic products as a tool in forensic investigation. She has presented her findings in conferences such as the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference and the Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence in 2020.
Iskandar recently launched a crime prevention social media platform, known as @thesafeteaspills on Instagram, in the hope of increasing safety awareness in the community. Discovering how much innovations can transform millions of lives, she is in the making of sinking her teeth in Entrepreneurship and making those innovations available to underdeveloped and developing countries. Her interests include Analytical Chemistry, Trace Evidence, Toxicology, Cosmetic Science, and Technical Sales. She has worked with the analytical instruments; GC-MS, HPLC-UV, Keyence VHX-6000 Microscope, IR Spectroscopy, GC-FID.
While her colleagues and professors know her as a researcher or a science geek during the semester calendar, she enjoys yoga and some lemonade by the beach.