Have you ever wondered about the origins of your family? Are you curious about your ethnicity or race? Have you heard or told stories about your family's past? Would you like to know the truth behind family secrets? There happens to be a scientific way to answer all these questions with a high level of accuracy. It is called DNA.

DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid. Everyone has a unique combination of DNA molecules in their cells. They form a genetic blueprint, providing insights into one's ethnic heritage. But many people don't know what their DNA says about them; and many are surprised when they find out.

The goal of the DNA Discussion Project at West Chester University of Pennsylvania is to encourage our campus community to talk about diversity in a new, positive and engaging way. By engaging participants in discussion before and after DNA testing, we are discovering that we share a rich background that is often unexpected.

Participants in the DNA Discussion Project:

  1. Engage in a pre-testing interview, in which they share what they believe to be their ethnic ancestry.
  2. Collect a small sample of cells for DNA testing. The sample is collected by rubbing a swab against the inside of the mouth. Within a few weeks, participants are provided with a printout of the DNA test, reporting the estimated percentages of European, Native American, Sub-Saharan African and East Asian heritage.
  3. Complete a post-testing interview, where they are encouraged to talk about the results and their reactions to this information.

The results of the DNA tests are periodically on display on and around the West Chester University campus. A portable 6 foot display rack was purchased to both publicize and educate passerbys. There is a display window with a participant's photograph. Behind it, there is a place to put a graph or other textual information about that individual's ancestry.

So far, more than 100 people have participated in the DNA Discussion Project. As the project grows, we hope to offer testing to anyone on the WCU campus who wants to participate. In the process, we are creating an engaging and evolving interactive experiment for creating dialogue about our diversity and our community.

In the long run, we hope to expand the project to include elementary and high school students in the region. By encouraging greater understanding of the science of genetics, the construction of race, and the perception of ethnicity, we hope to expand the dialogue about diversity in our community.

For more information, visit the other pages of this website or click the contact page to get in touch with the researchers. Dr. Anita Foeman is the lead researcher of the DNA Discussion Project and a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at West Chester University.