Overview
The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) hosted the Statistics and Applied Mathematics in Forensic Science workshop on October 31-November 2, 2016 at the RTI International location in Washington, DC.
The purpose of this 3-day workshop was to refresh, review and complete basic notions of statistics and probability theory that apply to a wide range of forensic disciplines and evidence types. Fundamental statistical concepts, such as confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, sampling theory, logical inference, and their applications to forensic problems, such as sampling among large drug seizures, calculating confidence interval in forensic chemistry and toxicology, interpreting the probative value of pattern evidence were presented, discussed and practiced in class. Examples and datasets were also provided for the practical exercises. Examples focused on trace and pattern evidence, as well as forensic drug analysis and toxicology.
Workshop Materials
Check out materials that assisted with the learning experience for the workshop below.
Workshop Workbook
Workshop Exercises – Statistical Tables
Workshop Exercises
Workshop Presenter
Dr. Cedric Neumann
Assistant Professor | South Dakota State University
Cedric Neumann completed his Ph.D. in Forensic Science at the University of Lausanne in 2008. He implemented his thesis work on the multivariate analysis and interpretation of ink evidence on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the United States Secret Service. He was the scientific manager for the Statistics and Interpretation Research Group of the British Forensic Science Service from 2006-2010 where he was involved in statistical research related to the quantification of DNA, fingerprint, shoeprint and other types of evidence. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Statistics at the South Dakota State University, where he leads multiple projects on the interpretation of trace and pattern evidence. During his free time, Cedric has consulted in multiple cases on behalf of prosecution and defense, and has provided statistical training to attorneys and forensic scientists. Cedric received several awards, including the 2009 ENFSI Emerging Scientist Award and the 2015 Berg SDSU Young Faculty Award.