Presented at: 2014 IACP Conference
Authors: Cara Plese, Emily Landsperger, David Exline
Release Date: October 2014
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Scientific Working Groups, or SWGs for short, are groups of leading professionals from various fields in forensic science who work together for advancement in their area of science. Most SWGs are largely funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) with the purpose of proposing guidelines regarding the use of testing standards, reporting suggestions, and recommended standard practices for both new and traditional technologies. Even though the SWGs cannot enforce the use of these guidelines, they provide suggestions which are reached as the consensus of professionals from various agencies, and can be used by laboratories at federal, state, and local levels.
Last week, myself and Sara Nedley, QA specialist, visited Waynesburg Universityto talk to students of the Forensic Science program. The undergraduate forensic science students got to see the AAFS presentation “What Judges and Lawyers need to Know about the Science behind Trace Evidence Examination” and also had the opportunity to ask questions about what to expect in the forensic science field as either a scientist or a quality specialist, and also talk about graduate school, internships, research, and how to get involved in the forensic science community.
Gateway Analytical is very excited to be presenting at the 2013 AAFS Annual Meeting in Washington DC this year! Cara Plese and Antonio Scatena will be presenting “What Judges and Lawyers Need to Know about the Science Behind Trace Evidence” on Friday, February 22nd at 10:40am. As our presentation date is quickly approaching, we wanted to give a short summary of what attendees should expect.
The evaluation of forensic evidence has changed significantly since the 1994 DNA Identification Act. Forensic DNA analysis plays a critical role in criminal investigations, and as a result now presents forensic labs with huge backlog issues due to the number of samples submitted for examination. This is where presumptive testing of evidence, such as suspected biological fluids, can be helpful.
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (MAAFS) annual meeting is being held later this month from May 14th through the 18th. MAAFS is one of several regional/state forensic science associations in the United States. Regional meetings are great for scientists to attend because they usually require less travel than attending the national AAFS meeting, and they provide a more personal forum for presentations and also networking with scientists from that particular region. MAAFS is also a great forum for student presenters, as scholarships are awarded annually. I will be presenting on Thursday, May 17thon the benefits of including fluorescence Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) in the battery of analyses that are typically applied to tape examination. Fluorescence HSI adds value to tape examination, because it is a macroscopic analysis that provides both visual and spectral results, requires little samples preparation, is non destructive, and can allow for a quick elimination in a comparison of known and questioned tapes.