Overview
In October 2020, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) helped the Southwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (SWAFS) host their first virtual conference. This event, which saw over 1,400 unique attendees across three days, covered a multitude of topics pertinent to the forensic science community. Toxicology, DNA, seized drugs, arson, document analysis, quality control, and crime scene investigation were just some of the topics discussed during the event.
The SWAFS 2020 Virtual Conference connected attendees from around the world. Thanks to support from NIJ, this regional conference turned global as our attendees learned together, all at no-cost to our audience.
If you missed out on the event, don't worry! We have archived the conference in its entirety. Click the link below to access the SWAFS 2020 Virtual Conference today!
Certificates of Completion will be available with completed viewing of any of the archived presentations.
This online content has been approved by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) for re-certification credits.
Agenda
Day 1 - Monday, October 5, 2020
- Opening Remarks | Dr. Jonathan McGrath, Department of Justice's Nation Institute of Justice
- Drugs: Δ9-THC Semi-Quant Validation and Method Procedure | Terra Lucas, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
- Toxicology: PCP Trends and Challenges in Houston | Dr. Peter Stout, Houston Forensic Science Center
- Toxicology: Case Studies | Kristen Mauldin, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
- CODIS: House Bill 1399 - Challenges and Successes at Texas DPS | Ryan Strand, Texas Department of Public Safety
- CODIS: Backlogs and Process Improvement | Jennifer Clay, Houston Forensic Science Center
Day 2 - Tuesday, October 6, 2020
- Regulating Heavy Metals in Cannabis: What We Can Learn From the Pharmaceutical Industry | Robert Thomas, Scientific Solutions Educational Consulting Company
- Drugs: Collaborative Research for Fundamental Insight into Cannabis Production | Dr. Mark Roggen, University of British Columbia
- Quality Control: Blind Quality Control Cases | Erika Ziemak, Houston Forensic Science Center
- Vendor: Agilent - Direct Real Time GCMS Analysis Using Agilent's QuickProbe Technology | Dr. Kirk Lokits, Agilent Technologies
- Vendor: Waters - THC Quantification; the UPLC Story | Tamara Keller, Waters Technologies
- Toxicology: An Overview of OSAC/ASB Documents for Toxicology | Dr. Marc LeBeau, FBI Laboratory
- Arson: Fire Debris - A Brief Introduction | Lindsey Bynum, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Documents: Forensic Document Examination | Sarah Pryor, Texas Department of Public Safety
Day 3 - Thursday, October 8, 2020
- Drugs: An Overview of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Clandestine Laboratories | Dr. Jarrad Wagner & Dr. Austin Ciesielski, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
- Transforming Crime Scene Investigation, Evidence Handling and Management | Dr. Peter Stout & Jerry Pena, Houston Forensic Science Center
- Vendor: SCIEX - Reduce Analytical interferences with Ultra-Sensitive LC-MS/MS and MRM3 | Dr. Holly McCall, SCIEX
- Vendor: Shimadzu - How HPLC and LCMS Fit within your Drug Lab | Sarah Olive, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments
- Toxicology: An Overview of OSAC/ASB Documents for Toxicology | Dr. Marc LeBeau, FBI Laboratory
- Quality: Maintaining Objectivity & Avoiding Cynicism | Kevin Sontag, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
- Quality: Designing a Comprehensive Quality Metric to Drive Excellence | Aimee Grimaldi & Paula Evans, Houston Forensic Science Center
- Vendor: Leeds Forensics Systems - Overview of the Evofinder Ballistic Identification System | Jake Kurth, Leeds Forensic Systems
All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in these presentations are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. Presentations from vendors and manufacturers concerning specific products are sponsored and funded solely through the Southwestern Association of Forensic Scientists and do not constitute product endorsement by the Department of Justice.
