Leveraging Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to Maintain Continuity of Operations: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Report Date Published January 2021 Introduction In response to 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, forensic crime laboratories have changed their business operations to ensure responsiveness to their customers’ needs while protecting staff welfare and data security. This balance has challenged laboratory management…
Sexual Assault Response Reform Fact Sheets
The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) is leading an effort to organize and transfer knowledge and best practices of sexual assault response to the criminal justice community. Whether through webinars, podcast episodes, reports, or conferences, the FTCoE is working…
Utility of Microbes in Forensic Science
This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 Duration: 1 hour The presenter discussed the definition of forensic microbiology, a timeline of when it first became popular, and how it differs from molecular epidemiology. The webinar then covered differences…
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…
Trauma and Coping Mechanisms Exhibited by Forensic Science Practitioners: A Literature Review
Report Date Forensic Science International: Synergy, Volume 2, 2020, Pages 310-316 Abstract Vicarious trauma (VT) has been studied in mental health experts for over 30 years due to their engagement with victims of trauma and exposure to details of events,…
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 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…
Taking 3D Measurements with NMDID Images
← Back to Series – – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 28th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – This webinar introduced the audience to viewing and collecting data from 3D medical imaging modalities (CT/MRI) using the open source…
Opening and Viewing NMDID Image Data
← Back to Series – – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – In the third webinar, participants learned about the image data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. Post-mortem computed…
Accessing and Utilizing Metadata from NMDID
← Back to Series – – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 14th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – In the second webinar, participants explored the types of data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. The Data…
2020 SWAFS Virtual Conference
In October 2020, the 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.…
The New Mexico Decedent Image Database Webinar Series
The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography scans of humans. The database contains de-identified scans of over 15,000 individuals; all were deceased at the time…
Overview of Accessing the NMDID Database and Searching
← Back to Series – – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour – The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed…
PACE™: Rapid and Automated Artifact Identification and Number of Contributor Prediction
– Tuesday, July 28th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ETDuration: 1 hour(s) The PACE™ software introduces a fully continuous, machine learning tool to the forensic DNA community that enables fast and accurate artifact management and predicts the number…
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness Webinar Series
Brief Description: Providing training and education to our membership is a core mission for ASCLD. Despite the unfortunate cancellation of our annual symposium this year, the Symposium Planning and Training and Education Committees found a way to bring timely and…
Tackling Employee Wellness: The Phoenix Police Department’s Crime Lab Approach
– ← Back to Series Thursday, June 18th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes Organizations often struggle with building supportive organizational cultures, employee morale, and interpersonal relationships. The Phoenix Police Department (PPD)…
Drug Exposures in the Forensic Laboratory: What We Know, What We Can Learn
← Back to Series Thursday, June 25th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes The recent rise in the illicit trade of highly toxic, synthetic drugs such as fentanyl has introduced a new…
Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Resiliency for Forensic Science Professionals
– ← Back to Series Thursday, June 11th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes The phenomena of vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and burnout have been described since the mid 1980’s, roughly coinciding…
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…
National Institute of Justice and West Virginia University: Revolutionizing Laboratory Efficiency Assessments Through Project FORESIGHT
Report Date March 2020 Introduction Crime laboratories are expected to provide consistent and high-quality services across multiple domains to criminal justice stakeholders, even though these laboratories may have limited resources and constrained budgets. Operational practices can influence the laboratory’s ability…
The Researcher’s Role in Technology Transition
– Researcher’s Role in Technology Transition Report Date January 2020 Introduction Research and development (R&D) plays a key role in improving the practice of forensic science. The knowledge, tools, and methods developed by researchers can help improve the objective…
The Sequel – Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Due to the overwhelming attendance and interaction for the first Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis webinar that was originally held on January 15th 2020,…
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…
ASCLD Accreditation Initiative
Overview The FTCOE has worked with the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) to promote and support universal accreditation and to promote the value of forensic science accreditation, continuous improvement, succession planning and technical certifications. In furtherance of these…
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…
The hidden costs of the opioid crisis and the implications for financial management in the public sector
Jeri Ropero-Miller and Paul Speaker Report Date Volume 1, 2019, Pages 227-238 Abstract The November 2017 release of the Council of Economic Advisers’ White House report on the opioid crisis suggests that prior consideration of expenses severely underestimated the…
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…
ASCLD Train the Director Series – Toxicology: Instrumentation, Methodology, and Workflows
← Back to Series Thursday, February 6th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Legacy workflows in toxicology generally involve a drug class screen followed by a gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy…
2019 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium
This report was published in RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications on a broad range of topics. The areas of focus reflect RTI’s multidisciplinary research, our expertise in social and laboratory sciences, and our extensive international activities. Since…
Innovation in Forensics: A Community Effort
Innovation in Forensics: A Community Effort Report Date January 2020 Introduction Innovation in forensic science advances new technologies and techniques to improve the scientific foundation of the field as well as the objective collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence.…
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…
ASCLD Train the Director Series – Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Background and Crime Lab Strategy
← Back to Series Thursday, January 23rd, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Investigative Genetic Genealogy is a recently developed technique that generates new leads on previously unsolved cases where DNA from the suspect is…
ASCLD Train the Director Series – Quality Assurance: Beyond Accreditation
← Back to Series Thursday, January 9th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Accreditation and quality assurance are two terms that are commonly used within the forensic science community. Many forensic laboratory mission statements incorporate…
Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis
Wednesday, January 15th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 2 hour(s) Attendees heard from experts in agricultural policy, hemp industry analytical testing, and the DEA Special Testing and Research laboratory to obtain a better understanding of the…
Communicating Conclusions in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET Duration: 1.5 hour(s) The results of a bloodstain pattern analysis are communicated through written reports and courtroom testimony. Principles of communication science will be discussed and explained to develop…
UNODC Early Warning Alert System: Forensic Tools for New Psychoactive Substances
← Back to Series Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on new psychoactive substances (NPS) was launched in June…
Forensic Epidemiology: Monitoring Fatal Drug Overdose Trends
← Back to Series Tuesday, February 11th, 2020 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Given the vital role of medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) in recognizing emerging trends in drug overdose deaths, partnering epidemiologists with ME/C…
Handling Difficult and Disturbing Forensic Cases for Coroners and Medical Examiners
← Back to Series Thursday, October 17th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) There are over 2000 medical examiner and coroner offices throughout the United States. All are involved in determining the cause and manner…
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…
Digital and Multimedia Forensics: The Impact of Disturbing Media
← Back to Series Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 1:00:00 PM ET – 2:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) Within the law enforcement and digital forensics communities, people will say, “What do they expect? It’s part of the job – they…
Quality Assurance in the Forensic Laboratory
← Back to Series Thursday, February 21, 2019 2:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) This course explains transitioning from 17025:2005 to 17025:2017 and the lessons learned. This is the fifth webinar in the ASCLD Train the…
Lean Facility Design and Forensic Laboratories
Report Series Update January 2019 Report Series Summary Over the past decade, several tools have been developed to increase organizational efficiency and reduce backlogs, including process mapping and Lean Six Sigma (LSS). In 2011, a variation of LSS, named Lean Design…
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…
NIBIN Challenges and Opportunities
← Back to Series Thursday, January 24, 2019 2:00:00 PM ET – 3:00:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) This webinar will discuss the challenges and opportunities regarding the implementation of the NIBIN program. The NIBIN program has the potential to…
Digital Forensics: An Overview for the Laboratory Manager
← Back to Series Thursday, January 31, 2019 2:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET Duration: 1 hour(s) This webinar will provide an overview of the field of digital forensics for the laboratory administrator. This is part of the ASCLD…
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…
Psychological Survival in a Violent Career
← Back to Series Original Live Webinar took place in 2018 Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Dr. David Christiansen discussed some of the relevant issues which affect law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders. These concepts also apply to those who…
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…
Process and Outcome Evaluation of Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement Program
Technical Note Date November 2018 Description A 2009 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement (EIP) Program solicitation provided crime laboratories’ DNA testing services with a funding opportunity to meet the increasingly numerous requests from the criminal…
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…
A Landscape Study of SOPs to Collect and Process Arrestee and Convicted Offender DNA Samples
Report Date This study is currently being conducted. The project team presented a poster on preliminary findings and next steps at the International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) in Phoenix, Arizona on September 24-27, 2018. Description The Forensic Technology Center…
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…
Forensic Workforce Resiliency: Vicarious Trauma & Workplace Stress Webinar Series
Description Professionals throughout the criminal justice system are exposed to the aftermath of violent crime and its victims. These individuals may include forensic nurses, crime scene investigators, forensic practitioners, medicolegal death investigators, and other professionals in related fields. Research has…
The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit – an Evidence-informed Resource for Organizations
← Back to Series Thursday, September 13, 2018 1:00:00 PM EDT – 2:30:00 PM EDT Duration: 1.5 hour(s) Vicarious trauma is an occupational challenge for forensic science professionals whose work entails continuous contact with victims of crime and violence, and…
Leadership Series
Overview: Every forensic science professional is a leader. Our society relies on the credibility and fairness of the criminal justice system. Forensic scientists play an important and fundamental role in the criminal justice community and are key to keeping our…
Success Story: NIST’s Dogs and Sensor Subcommittee Builds on Achievements by SWGDOG
NIJ and Florida International University Report Date April 2018 Impact “SWGDOG set the stage and provided a strong foundation of canine detector best practices that the OSAC Dogs and Sensor Subcommittee is currently developing into scientifically robust standards. The Subcommittee…
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 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 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 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…
In-Brief: Applying Internal Validation Guidelines for Expanded STR Loci Kits
Report Date January 2017 Report Summary The familiar ‘13 Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) core loci’ expanded to ‘20 CODIS core loci’ as mandated by the FBI on January 1, 2017. Because of this FBI mandate, participating CODIS laboratories will need…
2014 NIJ Crime Laboratory Directors Meeting
Report Date October 2014 Participants Representatives from the National Institute of Justice and crime laboratory directors from across the nation, including those who are DNA or Coverdell grantee recipients. Report Summary On September 11–12, 2014, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)…
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…