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2020 Year in Review
A Message from the FTCoE 2020 was a big year for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. With five podcast seasons, a full research and development symposium, our first virtual conference, eight reports, and over thirty webinars, we continued to…
Just Off The Shelf Forensics
In the final episode of the Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with Tim Schade and Brian Cochran to discuss off-the-shelf crime scene processing products. Budgetary concerns often plague smaller forensic labs and law enforcement agencies. Scene investigators might realize that some of those expensive forensic tools might not be viable or…
Just Erroneous Identification
In episode seven of the Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with John Vanderkolk and Marcus Montooth of the Indiana State Police to discuss erroneous identification and the Lana Canen case. In 2005, Lana Canen was convicted as an…
Just Identifying Fingerprints Through Photographs
In episode six of the Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with Karen Oswald, Senior Evidence Specialist with the Suffolk County Police Department in New York, to discuss methods for identifying fingers and hands captured in evidentiary photos. As cellphone and camera technologies continue…
Just the Grim Sleeper Serial Killer
In episode five of the Case Studies season, Just Science sat down with Rockne Harmon, forensic consultant and former senior deputy district attorney for Alameda County in California, to talk about familial DNA searching and the case of the Grim…
Just Fingerprints And Lasers
In episode four of the Case Studies Season, Just Science sat down with forensic consultant, author, and instructor Brian Dalrymple to discuss his research and impact on the field of latent print identification. In 1977, a team of researchers developed a…
Just the Jodi Arias Case
In episode three of the Case Studies Season, Just Science sat down with Heather Conner, Latent Print Unit Technical Leader in Mesa Police Department’s Forensic Services, about the investigation of a grisly murder in Arizona. In June of 2008, Travis Alexander was found dead…
Just the Story Behind Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
In episode two, Just Science sat down with Erin Sims, Forensic Lab Manager at the Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department, about bloodstain pattern evidence in forensic investigations. Not all crime scenes will have bloodstains. But when they are present, analysts can…
Just the Impact of Disturbing Media
In episode eight, Just Science interviews Dr. Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar from Purdue University about the impact of disturbing media on forensic professionals. Repeated exposure to violent and graphic media can have long-term negative effects on digital forensic examiners. Dr. Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar is researching the connection between disturbing media and the examiners who analyze it every…
Just Deepfakes
In episode seven, Just Science interviews Dr. Catalin Grigoras and Cole Whitecotton from the National Center for Media Forensics about deepfakes. Deepfakes are a form of synthetic media that replace an existing image with someone else’s likeness. While relatively new,…
Just NIST’s Digital Forensics Black Box Study
In episode six, Just Science interviews Barbara Guttman from the National Institute of Standards and Technology about the first large-scale black box study to test the accuracy of computer and mobile phone forensics. In forensic science, black box studies are…
Just Digital Evidence 101
In episode five, Just Science interviews Matt Ruddell from Florida International University about their efforts to develop forensic education and training programs at FIU. The National Forensic Science Technology Center at Florida International University offers a variety of courses, consulting,…
Just Data Stories
In episode four, Just Science interviews Paul Reedy, Owner of 4th Street Global, a digital forensics and cyber security consulting firm, about data stories and the future of digital evidence. Rapidly changing technology can complicate the analysis of digital evidence.…
Just Digital Evidence in the Courts of Appeals
In episode three, Just Science interviews Martin Novak, a Computer Scientist with the National Institute of Justice, about digital evidence in the United States Court of Appeals. Digital evidence has the capacity to identify suspects, win acquittals, and obtain convictions.…
Just A Public Defender’s Perspective
In episode two, Just Science interviews Nicolas Hughes, assistant public defender with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in Houston, TX, about the validation of tools utilized by digital forensics laboratories. Many forensic laboratories face overwhelming caseloads; digital forensic labs…
Just the Evolution of Digital Evidence
While the realm of digital evidence is still relatively new, it requires validation and testing like all forensic disciplines. Digital evidence is a dynamic discipline that can often provide greater insight into the investigation of a crime or the defense…
Just Forensic Genetic Genealogy and GEDmatch: Verogen’s Approach
In this Forensic Science Week special episode, Just Science interviews Brett Williams, the CEO of Verogen, about the GEDmatch database, how it can be used by law enforcement to perform forensic genealogy searches for investigative leads, and the short- and long-term plans Verogen has for…
Just Psychopathy and Criminal Behavior
Criminal investigations often necessitate the application of a multitude of forensic disciplines. While some cases can be solved by a single piece of evidence, most have a myriad of evidence types to forward and investigation. Bloodstains, DNA analysis, latent prints, digital evidence, and…
Just Applied Leadership for Resiliency in CSIs
In this special release episode of Just Science, we sat down with Ashley Church and Erin West, founders of Gap Science, to discuss stress and resiliency in crime scene investigators. Traumatic death investigation can have adverse, long-term effects on crime scene analysts. As Ashley Church and Erin West moved through…
Just Mitochondrial DNA
In episode seven of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Kimberly Sturk-Andreaggi, a Research Scientist at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, about the development of entire mitogenome reference data using an automated high-throughput sequencing workflow. Disaster victim identification…
Just a Statistical Approach to Glass Evidence
In episode six of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. José Almirall, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University, about a statistical approach for the interpretation of glass evidence. One criticism levied against trace evidence examinations…
Just COVID-19: The Impact to Supporting Victims of Sexual Assault
Overview This week on Just Science, we are publishing a special release episode in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Social distancing, shelter in place, and other responses to COVID-19 can create a stressful environment for survivors of sexual assault…
Just Blowflies and Extreme Temperatures
In episode five of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Travis Rusch, a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, about fluctuating temperatures in forensically important blowflies. Forensic entomologists use predictable developmental rates of certain necrophagus insects to estimate time of colonization, postmortem interval, and time of…
Just Quick Screening Methods for Firearm Discharge Residues
In this episode of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Tatiana Trejos, Assistant Professor of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences at West Virginia University, about the rapid detection of organic and inorganic gunshot residue. Speed and…
Just Analyzing Beverages for Cannabinoids
In episode three of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Carl Wolf from the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals about 40 plus ways NOT to analyze beverages for cannibinoids. From professional student, to a leading researcher in the…
Just Skeletal Remains Identification
In episode two of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Heather Garvin, Associate Professor of Anatomy at Des Moines University, about her work with OSTEOID, an online resource for species identification of skeletal remains. Approximately 30-40% of cases involving skeletal remains received by forensic anthropologists end up being…
Just Another Method for Detecting Fentanyl
In episode one of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Ling Wang, post-doctoral associate at Florida International University, about the detection and quantitation of fentanyl mixtures by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Chemometrics. Opioid abuse has grown considerably…
Just So You Know: The HHRRC’s Impact
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) seeks to promote humanitarian and human rights action in the field of forensic sciences. This effort would not be possible without the support provided by NIJ’s…
Just the Innocence Project
In episode four of the Improving the System season. Just Science interviews Sarah Chu, Senior Adviser on Forensic Science Policy at the Innocence Project, about their work to end wrongful conviction. Currently, there are over 2,500 cases on the National Registry…
Just the Organization of Scientific Area Committees
<<< back to all episodes In episode three of the Improving the System season, Just Science interviews John Paul Jones and Mark Stolorow of NIST about the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science. The 2009 National Academy of Sciences report…
Just a Profile in Forensic R&D Innovations
<<< back to all episodes In episode two of the Improving the System season, Just Science met with Gerry LaPorte, former Director of the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at NIJ, to discuss forensic science research and development innovations. Over…
Just the NIJ Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices
<<< back to all episodes In episode one of the Improving the System season, Just Science interviews Dr. Jonathan McGrath, Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at the National Institute of Justice, about the recently published…
Just Building Workforce Resiliency
<<< back to all episodes Over the last few years, the National Institute of Justice has placed an increasingly large emphasis on the influence of work-related stress on mental health. In this special release episode, Just Science interviews Amy Jeanguenat…
Just the Impact of Lawfully-Owed DNA Collection
<<< back to all episodes In the final episode of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Jayann Sepich, co-founder of the non-profit organization DNA Saves, about lawfully owed arrestee DNA. In 2003, 22-year-old Katie Sepich was raped and murdered within five blocks of her home…
Just USACIL and Direct-to-DNA
<<< back to all episodes In episode seven of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Molly Hall, an examiner for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, about their transition to a Direct-to-DNA approach to processing sexual assault kits. The United…
Just Improving Workflow Efficiency
<<< back to all episodes In episode six of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Leslie Parke and Jamie Haas of Signature Science, a private DNA laboratory based in Austin, Texas, about increasing workflow efficiency in their lab. From twenty cases…
Just the Golden State Killer
<<< back to all podcasts In the last episode of Just Science, Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter shared her techniques for creating family trees and discussed the resolution of her first cold case. In episode five of the DNA season, we continue…
Just Investigative Genetic Genealogy
<<< back to all episodes In episode four of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter, genetic genealogist and volunteer search angel with DNAadoption.org, about investigative genetic genealogy and its use in forensic science. From computer programmer to patent attorney,…
Just Lean Six Sigma and Your Lab
<<< back to all episodes In episode three of the 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…
Just Genetic Variation
<<< back to all episodes In episode two of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Dr. Kenneth Kidd, Professor Emeritus of Genetics at Yale University, about his research in genetics. Dr. Kenneth Kidd has been working on grants from the National…
Just DNA and the Post-Conviction Dynamic
<<< back to all episodes In episode one of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Chris Asplen, Executive Director of National Criminal Justice Association, about the evolution of DNA evidence. Listen along as our guest discusses the value of post-conviction…
Special Release: Just the Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners In this special release episode, Just Science interviews Dr. Hope Smiley-McDonald and Connor Brooks about the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners. The…
Just Imaging Flow Cytometry
<<< back to all podcasts Just Imaging Flow Cytometry In episode ten of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Christopher Ehrhardt, professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, about a method for determining tissue type, age of evidence, and contributors…
Just Flies and Their Artifacts
<<< back to all podcasts Just Flies and Their Artifacts In episode nine of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. David Rivers, a professor at Loyola University, about the detection of insect stains and the development of a…
Just Raman Spectroscopy and GSR
<<< back to all podcasts Just Raman Spectroscopy and GSR In episode eight of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Igor Lednev, professor of Chemistry at the University of Albany, about using Raman Microspectroscopy and advanced statistics for…
Just Putrid Databases
<<< back to all podcasts Just Putrid Databases In episode seven of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Audris Mockus, a Professor in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, about an Image Cloud…
Just Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction
<<< back to all podcasts Just Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction In episode six of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Jorn Yu, professor at Sam Houston State University, about the chemical analysis of controlled substances using automated headspace…
Just Screening Blood and Urine
<<< back to all podcasts Just Screening Blood and Urine In episode five of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Rebecca Wagner, a researcher at the Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences in Richmond, about a comparison of two validated LC/MS…
Just Detecting Gunshot Residue
<<< back to all podcasts Just Detecting Gunshot Residue In episode four of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Suzanne Bell, Professor and Chair of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science at West Virginia University, to discuss a…
Just RNA and Bloodstains
<<< back to all podcasts Just RNA and Bloodstains In episode three of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Robert Allen, professor and head of the Forensic Sciences Department at Oklahoma State University, about a method to estimate…
Just Fundamental Mechanics and Infant Skull Fractures
<<< back to all podcasts Just Fundamental Mechanics and Infant Skull Fractures In episode two of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Brittany Coats, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Utah, about her efforts to…
Just Skin Deep
<<< back to all podcasts Just Skin Deep In episode one of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Katherine Scafide and Dr. Daniel Sheridan about their use of Alternative Light Sources for the detection and assessment of cutaneous…
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Just the Evolution of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Evolution of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a campaign designed to raise awareness about sexual violence and provide methods to prevent it. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness…
Identification: Just the Double Loop Podcast Crossover
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Double Loop Podcast Crossover In episode nine of the Identification season, Just Science sits down with Heidi Eldridge, from RTI international, along with Eric Ray and Glenn Langenburg, the co-hosts of the Double Loop Podcast, to discuss the…
Identification: Just Forensic Technician Vicarious Trauma
<<< back to all podcasts Just Forensic Technician Vicarious Trauma In episode eight of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Selena McKay-Davis, lead senior forensic specialist at Riverside Police Department, about job-related stress for forensic technicians and sworn peace officers.…
Identification: Just Forensic Microanthropology
<<< back to all podcasts Just Forensic Microanthropology In episode seven of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Carlos Gutierrez, a lecturer at Chaminade University of Honolulu, about the new field of Forensic Microanthropology. After finding an unidentified bone, forensic…
Identification: Just Improvised Explosive Devices
<<< back to all podcasts Just Improvised Explosive Devices In episode six of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Hillary Daluz, an instructor for Tritech Forensics and author on latent print analysis. From soda cans and cigarette packs to animal…
Identification: Just 19 Hours and 300 miles
<<< back to all podcasts Just 19 Hours and 300 miles In episode five of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Erin Sims, Lab Manager of the Forensic Identification Unit for the Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department, about a case involving…
Identification: Just the Molalla Forest Serial Killer
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Molalla Forest Serial Killer In episode four of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Robert Thompson, Senior Forensic Science Research Manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, about his role in…
Identification: Just a Modified Direct to DNA Approach to Sexual Assault Kit Testing
<<< back to all podcasts Just a Modified Direct to DNA Approach to Sexual Assault Kit Testing In episode three of the Identification season, Just Science interviews forensic biologist Caitlin Rogers. Forensic scientists are always looking to improve the efficiency…
Identification: Just Drawing Knowledge from a Forensic Artist
<<< back to all podcasts Just Drawing Knowledge from a Forensic Artist In episode two of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Suzanne Birdwell, a forensic artist with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the current Chair of the…
Identification: Just the Sole of Impression Pattern Evidence
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Sole of Impression Pattern Evidence The Identification season of Just Science will focus on many of the different aspects of identification in forensic investigations. A majority of these interviews were recorded at the…
Forensic Advancement: Just Mass Casualty Events
<<< back to all podcasts Just Mass Casualty Events In episode eleven of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Special Agent Richard Marx, the supervisory agent for the FBI’s Evidence Response Team Unit, to discuss what follows a mass…
Forensic Advancement: Just Blind Proficiency Testing
<<< back to all podcasts Just Blind Proficiency Testing In episode ten of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Dr. Peter Stout, CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, as he discusses the current state of the HFSC and…
Forensic Advancement: Just Transparency in Public Communications
<<< back to all podcasts Just Transparency in Public Communications In episode nine of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Director of Communications for the Houston Forensic Science Center, concerning the role of transparency in the forensics…
Forensic Advancement: Just a Paradigm Shift for Forensic Scientists
<<< back to all podcasts Just a Paradigm Shift for Forensic Scientists In episode eight of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ron Smith. Mr. Smith is a 45-year veteran of latent print analysis and the current president of…
Forensic Advancement: Just Throwing DARTs at the Opioid Crisis
<<< back to all podcasts Just Throwing DARTs at the Opioid Crisis In episode seven of the forensic advancement season, Just Science interviews Amber Burns, Chemistry Section Manager for the Maryland State Police Department, to discuss the role of technology…
Forensic Advancement: Just Millennials
<<< back to all podcasts Just Millennials In episode six of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ben Swanholm, Evidence Screening Section Supervisor at the Phoenix Police Department to discuss millennials and their future role in the forensic sciences. Millennials…
Just So You Know: AAFS Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center
<<< back to all podcasts Just So You Know: AAFS Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) seeks to promote humanitarian and human rights in the field…
Just ASCLD Rapid DNA Committee
<<< back to all podcasts Just ASCLD Rapid DNA Committee In episode five of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Katie Fetherston, Brian Hoey, and Jeremy Triplett, the Laboratory Supervisor for Kentucky State Police to discuss the ASCLD Rapid…
Just Psychological Resiliency
<<< back to all podcasts Just Psychological Resiliency In episode four of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Dr. David Christiansen, a licensed psychologist in the State of Colorado, about psychological survival in a violent career. Dr. Christiansen discusses…
Just FORESIGHT on Sexual Assault Kits
<<< back to all podcasts Just FORESIGHT on Sexual Assault Kits In episode three of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Dr. Paul Speaker from West Virginia University about the jurisdictional return on investment for DNA Databases. With the…
Just Cognitive Bias Awareness
<<< back to all podcasts Just Cognitive Bias Awareness In episode two of the forensic advancement season, Just Science interviews Dr. Cecelia Crouse, formerly the Crime Laboratory Director of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, about the 2009 National Academy…
Just the Soul of the Profession
<<< back to all podcasts Just the Soul of the Profession The Forensic Advancement season of Just Science will focus on many areas that challenge forensic leadership within the community. A majority of these interviews were recorded at the 2018 ASCLD Annual Symposium…
Just Planning For The Aftermath Of A Mass Shooting
Just Planning For The Aftermath Of A Mass Shooting In the fourth episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews John Fudenberg, the Coroner for Clark County, where he discusses the tragic events of the 2017 concert shooting in Las…
Just Forensic Nurse Coroners
Just Forensic Nurse Coroners In the third episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews Bobbi Jo O’neal, the Chief Deputy Coroner of Charleston, South Carolina, who discusses the unique skills that forensic nurses can provide…
Just Coroners Versus Medical Examiner Systems
Just Coroners Versus Medical Examiner Systems In the second episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews John Fudenberg, the Coroner for Clark County, Nevada. Listen along as Just Science explores commonalities and differences between the…
Just Being Vocal about Vicarious Trauma
Just Being Vocal about Vicarious Trauma In the first episode of our medicolegal death investigation special release season, Just Science interviews Kelly Keyes, the supervising deputy coroner of Orange County, California to give an overview about the coroners and medical…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Molly Dix
Molly Dix, Technology Innovation Manager In episode ten of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Molly Dix about the key role that innovation advisors play in transitioning technology into practice. This episode of Just Science is funded by the National…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Erica Fornaro
Erica Fornaro, Outreach Manager In episode nine of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Erica Fornaro where she discusses all of the ways the center is trying to reach forensic professionals. This episode of Just Science is funded…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Dr. Kelle Barrick
Dr. Kelle Barrick, Social Impact Lead In episode eight of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Dr. Kelle Barrick about the social impact of forensic technologies. This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Sarah Norsworthy, Nichole Bynum, and Katherine Moore
Forensic Science Experts In episode seven of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Sarah Norsworthy, Nichole Bynum, and Katherine Moore. Listen along as we learn about their forensic backgrounds and the valuable knowledge they bring to the center.…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Heidi Eldridge
Heidi Eldridge, Research Forensic Scientist In episode six of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Heidi Eldridge, who discusses her unusual background and her path to becoming a researcher at RTI and a PhD candidate at the University of Lausanne.…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Dr. Megan Grabenauer
Dr. Megan Grabenauer, Research Chemist In episode five of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Dr. Megan Grabenauer, where she discusses her chemistry research background and current NIJ grant. This episode of Just Science is funded by the…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Donia Slack
Donia Slack, Associate Director In episode three of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Donia Slack, who shares her past research experience and how that contributes to the successful operation of the center. This episode of Just Science…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Nicole Jones
Nicole Jones, Addressing Challenges Manager In episode four of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Nicole Jones, about the different ways in which the she is helping address challenges in the community. This episode of Just Science is…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller
Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller, Chief Scientist In episode two of the FTCoE special release season, Just Science interviews Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller, the FTCoE’s Chief Scientist about her past experiences This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of…
Just So You Know – FTCoE Team: Dr. John Morgan
Dr. John Morgan, Project Director Listen to learn more about Dr. John Morgan’s past with the NIJ and how that aligns with the FTCoE mission by providing evidence-based resources about forensic technologies and emerging challenges. This episode of Just Science…
Just Genetic Marker Linkages
Just Genetic Marker Linkages In the sixth episode of the 2018 R&D Season, Just Science speaks with Dr. Michael Edge of UC Davis about his research with record linkage of CODIS profiles with SNP genotypes. Can you tell if a…
Just Portable Mass Spectrometer Possibilities
Just Portable Mass Spectrometer Possibilities In the fifth episode of the NIJ R&D Season, Just Science speaks with Dr. Jamie Wieland and Dr. Christopher Mulligan of Illinois State University about assessing the impact of implementing portable mass spectrometers for on-site…
Just a Whole-Body CT Image Database
Just a Whole-Body CT Image Database In episode four of the 2018 NIJ R&D Season, Just Science speaks with Dr. Shamsi Berry, from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, about her research with standardizing a large-scale, whole-body CT image database. In 2010 the…
Just Skin Microbiomes as Evidence
Just Skin Microbiomes as Evidence In the third episode of the 2018 NIJ R&D Season, Just Science speaks with Dr. David Carter, Director and Associate Professor of Forensic Sciences at Chaminade University of Honolulu, about his research, “Evaluating the Skin…
Just Microhaps Perhaps
Just Microhaps Perhaps In the second episode of our new R&D Season, Just Science host Dr. John Morgan speaks with human population geneticist Dr. Kenneth Kidd, Professor Emeritus of Genetics and Senior Research Scientist at Yale University. With the advent…
Just Speak into the Microbe-phone
Just Speak into the Microbe-phone In the first episode of our new R&D Season, Just Science host Dr. John Morgan speaks with Dr. Bruce Budowle, the Executive Director of the Institute of Applied Genetics and Professor at the University of…
Just Opioid Financial Burden on Crime Labs
Just Opioid Financial Burden on Crime Labs In episode twelve of our Drugs Season, Just Science speaks to Dr. Paul Speaker, from West Virginia University, about the economic burden our justice system has from opioid deaths. They are estimating that…
Just Classifying Emerging Compounds
Just Classifying Emerging Compounds In episode eleven of our Drugs Season, Just Science visits Atlanta for the 45th Annual ASCLD symposium to visit with Dr. Barry Logan, Sr. Vice President of Forensic Science Initiatives and Chief of Forensic Toxicology at…
Just Fentanyl Lab Fads with ASCLD
Episode Overview In episode ten of our Drugs Season, Just Science visits Atlanta for the 45th Annual ASCLD symposium to talk with the Orange County, California Laboratory Director, and chair of the ASCLD Opioid Taskforce Committee, Bruce Houlihan. Listen along…
Just Solving the Opioid Crisis
Just Solving the Opioid Crisis In episode Nine of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses the Opioid Epidemic with RTI International’s Dr. Gary Zarkin and Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller. Solving the United State’s Opioid Epidemic that’s riddled with unknowns and inconsistencies…
Just Chasing the E-Cig Dragon
Just Chasing the E-Cig Dragon In episode eight of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses research in the area of e-cigarettes with Dr. Michelle Peace. Vaping, the act of inhaling vapor from e-liquid through a vaporizer, or also known as…
Just So You Know: Women and Work in Science
Women and Work in Science How do career trajectories differ for Women in Forensics? It’s not just about showcasing academic rigor, producing great research, and chasing grants. This Just So You Know, we speak with Dr. Campo of FIU and…
Just Alcohol and Witness Recall
Just Alcohol and Witness Recall In episode seven of our Drugs Season, Just Science discusses with Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo, an associate professor at Florida International University, her research on the effects of alcohol on witnesses’ and victims’ memory for…
Just the State of Pathology
Just the State of Pathology In episode six of the Drugs Season, Randy Hanzlick of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Atlanta explores the field of forensic pathology. Listen along as Dr. John Morgan and Dr. Hanzlick discuss medicolegal…
Just Doobious Driving
Just Doobious Driving In episode five of our Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Jennifer Knudsen, Colorado’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, and Glenn Davis, the Highway Safety Manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Listen along as Colorado’s recreational marijuana legalization traffic…
Just Liver Die
Just Liver Die In episode four of our Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Carl Wolf, from the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss his NIJ funded research, titled “Liver Doesn’t DIE, or at least its Enzymes, and…
Just Electronic Dance Music Festivals
Just Electronic Dance Music Festivals In episode three of the Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Alex Krotulski, a research scientist, and Amanda Mohr, a forensic scientist 2, at the Center for Forensic Science Research and education. Both discuss their NIJ…
Just Drug Courts
Just Drug Courts In episode two of the Drugs Season, Just Science interviews Preeti Menon, the Senior Associate Director at the Justice Programs Office, a center in the School of Public Affairs at America University. One of Ms. Menon’s many…
Just Field Identification Drug Officer
Just Field Identification Drug Officer With this episode we kick off our Drugs season. Topics will range from legalization of marijuana in relation to police officers, the opioid epidemic, Electronic Dance Music Festivals, how witnesses’ and victims’ memory of events…
Just Talking Testimony
Just Talking Testimony In this special episode of the IPTES season recorded live in Crystal City, Just Science covers the panel titled, “Statistics and Testimony from the Practitioner and Juror Point of View.” Moderators for the panel were Dr. John…
Just Bayesian Brawl
Just Bayesian Brawl In episode nine of the IPTES season, Just Science is covering the Statistical Approaches to Forensic Interpretation panel, recorded live at IPTES. Moderators for the panel was your host, Dr. John Morgan, from RTI International and Dr.…
Just Handwriting Statistics
Just Handwriting Statistics In episode eight of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Cami Fuglsby, from South Dakota State University, to discuss Sufficiency and Complexity Factors in Handwriting Examination. Did you know that increasing the size of the document improves…
Just Consecutively Manufactured Toolmarks
Just Consecutively Manufactured Toolmarks In episode seven of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Robert Thompson, a Senior Forensic Science Research Manager at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Mr. Thompson discusses his research on consecutively manufactured barrels…
Just Footwear Size Does Matter
Just Footwear Size Does Matter In episode six of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Chris Hamburg, from the Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division, and Jeff Jagmin from the WSP Crime Laboratory Division in Seattle. Our guests discuss the…
Just Geeking Out on Patterns
Just Geeking Out on Patterns In episode five of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews John Vanderkolk from the Indiana State Laboratory. In a previous episode, Vanderkolk used the term Nature’s patterns, now he will discuss the philosophy behind the…
Just Shoeprint Statistics
Just Shoeprint Statistics In episode four of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Andrew Kimble, a student at Albany State University. Mr. Kimble explains his research in how incorporating statistical models in forensic shoeprint analysis can assist in identification. This…
Just A Juror’s Perception
Just A Juror’s Perception In episode three of the IPTES season, Just Science interviews Dr. Alicia Wilcox from Husson University and Heidi Eldridge from RTI International. Our guests discuss how visual aid and other tactics have been proven to help…
Just Fracture Matches
Just Fracture Matches In episode two of the 2018 IPTES season, Just Science interviews Dr. Ashraf Bastawros from Iowa State University. Dr. Bastawros discusses how fracture mechanics principles can be used with statistical learning tools to give quantitative results. Explore the mind of an engineer and hear how leveraging other disciplines can aid forensic…
Just Nature’s Patterns
Just Nature’s Patterns Season three, episode one of Just Science kicks off with our host, Dr. John Morgan, interviewing John Vanderkolk from the Indiana State Crime Laboratory. Vanderkolk discusses his belief in the importance of challenging your teachers and how…
Just Guidance Leadership
Guidance Leadership In this special release season of Just Science, we discuss leadership with prominent names in the forensic community. The last episode of this series features Jeremy Triplett, the Laboratory Supervisor for the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratories. Triplett…
Just Motivational Leadership
Motivational Leadership Episode three of the special release season, Leadership, features Martina Bison-Huckaby, the Director of the Center for Executive Education at West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics. Just science examines how understanding and relating with people separates…
Just Strategic Leadership
Strategic Leadership In episode two of the Leadership Special Release season, Just Science interviews Jody Wolf, the Assistant Crime Lab Administrator at the Phoenix Police Department Laboratory Services Bureau. Wolf tells us how forensic science found her at a pivotal time…
Just Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership In episode one of the Leadership Special Release season, Just Science interviews Ben Swanholm, the Forensic Science Section Supervisor at the Phoenix Police Department Laboratory Services Bureau. Swanholm discusses his personal leadership style, backed with resources that are…
Just So You Know: Rapid DNA Technology
Just So You Know: Rapid DNA Technology In this “Just So You Know” episode of Just Science, we discuss this year’s Rapid DNA forum with Chris Asplen, the Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice Association. The 3-day forum, hosted…
Just Case Studies: Derrick Todd Lee – Baton Rouge Serial Killer
Derrick Todd Lee – Baton Rouge Serial Killer In Episode 9, Season 2, Just Science interviews Ray Wickenheiser, director of the New York State Police lab system and current ASCLD president. Ray takes us down to Cajun Country to the case…
Just Case Studies: Two Murders, One Trace Fiber
Two Murders, One Trace Fiber In episode eight, Season two, Just Science interviews Dr. Jan De Kinder, from the National institute of Forensic science and criminology in the Belgium Department of Justice. Dr. De Kinder explores how trace evidence was a…
Just Case Studies: From Teeth to Trafficking
From Teeth to Trafficking In Episode Seven, Season two, Just Science interviews Dr. John Kenney, who is also a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science, during the Cradle to Cane Conference held in Charleston South Carolina. Dr. Kenny…
Just Case Studies: A Gruesome Murder in Mesa
A Gruesome Murder in Mesa In episode six, season two, Just Science interviews Kimberly Meza from Mesa police Department during the annual ASCLD symposium held in Dallas, Texas. Kimberly describes how a blood spatter analyst takes in a scene, especially…
Just Case Studies: Atlanta Olympic Bombing
Atlanta Olympic Bombing Season two, episode five of Just Science interviews John Collins during the annual ASCLD symposium in Dallas, Texas. This episode takes us back to a time when the United States was hosting the summer Olympics, in Atlanta,…
Just Case Studies: A Mother’s Tale – Part 2
A Mother’s Tale Part 2 Season two, episode four of Just Science involves a case through the eyes of an investigator. Mike Weber, an investigator with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in the Crimes Against Children Unit, walks us…
Just Case Studies: A Mother’s Tale – Part 1
A Mother’s Tale Part 1 Season two, episode three of Just Science involves a case through the eyes of an investigator. Mike Weber, an investigator with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in the Crimes Against Children Unit, walks us…
Just Case Studies: A Child’s Injustice
A Child’s Injustice Season two, episode two of the Just Science podcast involves a case from Canada that Andrew Greenfield, Deputy Director of the Centre of Forensic Sciences, worked on when he was a young scientist. The gruesome murder of…
Just Case Studies: Mel Hall – A Sexual Predator
Mel Hall – A Sexual Predator For the second season of Just Science we will be delving into case studies. These case interviews include victim accounts, lawyers, investigators, and crime lab directors. They will tell you about cases they have…
Just Gunshot Acoustics Research
Just Gunshot Acoustics Research In this special release episode of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium, Just Science interviews Dr. Rob Maher. Below is the abstract submitted where Dr. Rob Maher explains his research: Gunshot acoustics–interpretation of the characteristic sounds produced…
Just Postmortem Interval Estimation Research
Just Postmortem Interval Estimation Research In this special release episode of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium, Just Science interviews Dr. Jeffrey Wells and Dr. Lynn LaMotte. This is the abstract submitted where Dr. LaMotte and Dr. Wells explain their research:…
Just Bath Salts
Just Bath Salts In this special release episode of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium, Just Science interviews Lindsay Glicksberg, a student from Sam Houston State University. This is an excerpt from the abstract submitted by the guest, Lindsay Glicksberg explaining the…
Just One Pot Methamphetamine
Just One Pot Methamphetamine In this special release episode of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium, Just Science interviews Dr. Jarrad Wagner from Oklahoma State University. This is the abstract submitted by the guest where he explains the research him and…
Just Hairy Isotopes
Just Hairy Isotopes In episode ten of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we spoke with Dr. Gwyneth Gordon, from Arizona State University. Dr. Gordon and her team have developed methods to use the isotopic abundance…
Just Blood Spatter
Just Blood Spatter In episode nine of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we spoke with Dr. Marc Smith, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Smith’s NIJ funded research in blood spatter has connected computational…
Just the Facts About Campus Sexual Assault
Just the Facts About Campus Sexual Assault In episode eight of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we spoke with Dr. Christopher Krebs, a Senior Research Social Scientist at RTI International. Dr. Krebs’ research has…
Just Dry Bones
Just Dry Bones In the seventh episode of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , guest speakers Dr. Melissa Connor, Dr. Eriek Hansen, and Christiane Baigent discuss their NIJ funded research. A study was launched in…
Just Budgets
Just Budgets In the sixth episode of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , guest speaker Dr. Paul Speaker discusses the FORESIGHT program. Dr. Speaker, an Associate Professor at West Virginia University, will describe how The FORESIGHT program helps…
Just DNA Mixture Interpretation
Just DNA Mixture Interpretation In the fifth episode of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , guest speaker Dr. Catherine Grgicak discusses DNA Mixture interpretation, currently a hot topic in forensic science. Dr. Grgicak and her colleagues…
Just Subjective Probability
Just Subjective Probability For episode four of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , we will be diving into the world of statistics and how it applies forensic case work with Dr. Christophe Champod…
Just 3D Optical Topography
Just 3D OPTICAL TOPOGRAPHY Episode Three of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , features Dr. Ryan Lilien, from Cadre Forensics and Todd Weller, from the Oakland Police Department talking about their groundbreaking research…
Just Human Factors
Just Human Factors In episode two, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , Dr. Tom Busey explores the importance of human factors as it relates to fingerprint analysis and interpretation. He, along with RTI International resident fingerprint expert, co-host Heidi Eldridge,…
Just Lab Management
Just Lab Management The first episode of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence , will feature guest speaker Barry Fisher. It will dive into Barry’s legacy, which goes back to the 1960s, and how he used leadership in the crime laboratory to…