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Original Release Date: October 1, 2019
In episode three of our 2019 DNA season, Just Science interviews Julie Sikorsky, Forensic Biology Unit Manager at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, about her experience introducing an efficiency program into her lab.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office serves over 30 agencies. With such a large client base, capacity and efficiency are critical for their success. In order to improve efficiency in her lab, Julie Sikorsky implemented Lean Six Sigma. Through this program, they have cut down their backlog and reduced their turnaround time by 45%. Listen in as she discusses laboratory efficiency, the value of open communication, and creating a culture of change in this episode of Just Science.
This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].
Guest Biography
Julie Conover Sikorsky has been employed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for over sixteen and a half years and currently serves as the Forensic Biology Unit Manager. Prior to becoming a manager, Julie was a full-time caseworking analyst for over ten years. She has actively worked hundreds of forensic DNA cases and offers expert witness testimony. She obtained a bachelor’s of science degree in molecular biology from the University of California at San Diego and two master’s degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia - one in forensic science the other in biomedical sciences. Julie is a Fellow of the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) in molecular biology and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She also holds memberships in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG), and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD). Additionally, she is the chair of the ABC Credentials Committee, is a certified technical assessor under ISO/IEC 17025 for forensic testing laboratories and peer reviews articles for the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast episode are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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