Lori Ana Valentín

Dr. Lori Ana Valentín – Spring, 2022

Lori Ana Valentín is a forensic scientist at the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center in Albany, NY. Valentín began her work in forensics in 2015. She was assigned to the seized drugs section where she analyzed hundreds of evidentiary items for the presence of controlled substances in local, state and federal criminal cases. She has tested a wide breadth of substances including powders, liquids, pharmaceuticals, vegetation, drug paraphernalia, etc. and testified to her findings in court. In 2018 Valentín was promoted to a lab management role in the quality assurance office where she supports the crime laboratory system in maintaining a robust quality management system.
 
In her current role, she manages the internship program and leads learning and development, community outreach, and organizational health and wellness. An analytical chemist, Valentín holds doctorate and master’s degrees in chemistry from Binghamton University as well as a bachelor of science in biochemistry from SUNY Fredonia. Dedicated to outreach, she is the 2022 Chair of the Eastern New York section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and serves on its Education and Women Chemists Committees. In 2021 she founded the organization Radiant Journey, which delivers customized resilience-building programs to scientists and engineers in academia, government, and industry. She is an ACS Career Consultant and a sought-after coach, forensic lecturer, and keynote speaker.
 
Valentín resides in the capital region with her son Isaac and their cat Arginine. A former competitive martial artist, she has found strength in stillness through daily meditation and yoga. She enjoys sharing this practice, which she learned from her father, with her son.