Robin Woolery

Robin Woolery graduated from Dillard University, where she majored in Chemistry.  After graduation, she attended Northwestern University where she received her master’s degree in Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Molecular Biology.  She began her career in Forensics in 1992- working as a Forensic Drug Chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration.  During this time, she met her husband and they moved to Des Moines, IA.  Robin began working for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations.  In this position she worked as a Drug Criminalist and a Crime Scene Investigator.  She specialized in Clandestine Laboratory Investigations for five years.  In 2000, Robin and her family returned to the Chicagoland area. Robin began her career with the Illinois State Police (ISP) in 2001.  She worked as a Forensic Analyst in the Drug Chemistry section at the Chicago Lab.    In 2003, Robin left the bench and moved into management.  She became the Chemistry Group Supervisor at the ISP Joliet Lab.  In 2007, she was promoted to Laboratory Director of the Joliet Lab.  In January 2017, she returned to the Chicago Lab as Laboratory Director.  She was promoted to Assistant Deputy Director of the Division of Forensic Services in 2019.  Currently, Robin is the Deputy Director of the Division.  She is the first non-sworn person to hold this position in the Illinois State Police and the first black woman.  The Division of Forensic Services (DFS) is comprised of two Commands- the Forensic Science Command (FSC) and the Scene and Evidence Services Command (SESC).  There are seven laboratories in FSC and approximately 325 non-sworn employees.  The SESC is made up of Crime Scene Investigators, Traffic Crash Reconstruction Investigators and State Evidence Vault Technicians.  The SESC has approximated 75 sworn employees.  Additionally, Robin is the ISP Director’s Designee for the Illinois Forensic Science Commission, which was established in 2021 and is comprised of forensic analysts, managers, attorneys, academics and Community partners.