President's Message
Symposium Keynote Speaker Highlight:

The 23 rd Secretary of the Air Force, and successful business leader, Deborah Lee James, will open our symposium in Denver. Deborah has a three-decade track record of leading, transforming, and driving lasting change in the US government and in private industry. As the CEO equivalent of a 660,000, $140 billion enterprise, Deborah faced high stakes challenges as Secretary of the Air Force as she led the effort to recruit, train, and equip the premier air, space, and cyber force all the while facing unprecedented political dysfunction. Earlier in her career, Deborah was a senior executive at SAIC where she led during a time of enormous change in the company.

In Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success , Deborah shares her personal and professional challenges, outcomes, strategies for success, and problem-solving principles she used to overcome challenges and thrive. Why not pick up a copy, meet Deborah at the symposium, and perhaps get an inscription in your book?

Project Foresight Reminder:

Immediately following the ASCLD meeting on Thursday April 2 nd , there will be a FORESIGHT User’s Group Meeting at the Denver Police Crime Lab Building. The meeting will go from approximately ½ hour after the last symposium speaker until we are done talking that evening (expected to be 6 or 7pm). Experienced users will talk about potential improvements to the process and discuss ways to use the data to benefit the lab. There will not be a fee for the session that we hope will become an annual tradition. Please talk to Max Houck, Paul Speaker, Matthew Gamette, or Bruce Houlihan if you are interested in more information. Don’t miss the other FORESIGHT workshops and presentations during the symposium to help you learn how to participate and how to use the data. 

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”!” -- Audrey Hepburn

Have a great week - Brooke
Looking Ahead
March 29 April 2, 2020 ASCLD Symposium, Denver - CO
April 2, 2020 - ASCLD Annual Business Meeting - ASCLD Symposium, Denver, CO
April 27 - May 2, 2020 - TC 272 Full Technical Committee Meeting - Copenhagen
ASCLD is pleased to announce that registration for the 2020 symposium has opened. Come explore the website, make your hotel reservations, reserve your spot for the off-site event, sign up for classes, and read about your key note speakers.

Visit the 2020 ASCLD Symposium website at  https://www.ascldsymposium.com to see all of the current information regarding the upcoming symposium

The Hyatt is sold out. However, you will find information on the website regarding two overflow hotels within two blocks from the symposium location.
Weekly News and Resources
Community Research, Newsletters, and Surveys
FY20 NIJ Research and Evaluation on Policing funding opportunity, closes April 13, 2020; relevant forensic science aspects highlighted below. 

 
Solicitation excerpt:

The NIJ Policing Strategic Research Plan, 2017 – 2022 identifies three strategic priorities:

I. Promote and Support Research to Optimize Workforce Development for Officers and Civilian Personnel

This strategic priority represents NIJ’s commitment to support research that will identify
challenges and promote promising practices that will advance the policing workforce.  This
includes both sworn and civilian personnel; and those in support agencies including publicly funded forensic crime laboratories, medical examiner and coroner offices, and police forensic units; to include crime scene personnel and medicolegal death investigators.  Research areas under this strategic priority include, but are not limited, to:

  • Recruitment, retention, and workforce development;
  • Training and education, including the composition of an evidence-based curricula; and
  • Training technologies designed to enhance performance.

II. Promote and Support Research on Policing Practices

This strategic priority supports NIJ’s efforts focusing on advancing policing practices and
strategies deployed by police organizations. Research areas under this strategic priority include,but are not limited, to:

  • Person- or place-based practices and strategies intended to deter, disrupt, or prevent crime;
  • Patrol practices;
  • The application and timeliness of data and outputs from forensic science examinations, technologies, and innovations to support police investigations and systems-based strategies;1
  • System and organizational characteristics that advance police performance;
  • Officer decision-making practices;
  • The adoption of technologies that assist in organizational performance; and
  • Partnerships among police organizations or between police practitioners and
researchers.

Laboratory managers and supervisors may be interested in getting their laboratory involved in this very important study. See attached for announcement from NIST and Noblis.
Forensic Research Committee Bulletin - March Issue
The goal of the Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP) is to facilitate collaborative research between academia and forensic science laboratories. This joint effort between the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD) and the Council of Forensic Science Educators (COFSE) identifies forensic science needs and provides a platform for laboratories, researchers, and students to seek projects aligning with their mutual research capabilities. Read more...
 
The impact that stress has on a person’s mind and body can be dramatic, but the effects are amplified when the stressors involve violent, graphic, or traumatic material. Amy Jeanguenat and Andrew Levin are working to provide support to those affected by this vicarious trauma, with an emphasis on forensic scientists and first responders. Listen along as they discuss stress, mindfulness, and the future of resiliency in this episode of Just Science.

Standards Corner


Click HERE to review standards available for comment.

OSAC News
March 2020 OSAC Standards Bulletin now available, click HERE
Training
For additional information, please visit  https://iafs2020.com.au/
The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education presents its 8th annual course in interpretive postmortem toxicology. This is an in-depth course which explores one of the most challenging areas of forensic science. Speakers will cover the complex range of considerations that must be applied in performing analysis, reporting and interpreting results in postmortem toxicological casework.

Factors from choice of samples, collection tubes, postmortem redistribution, analytical approach, drug-drug interactions and tolerance all play a part in providing accurate and reliable interpretive input for the pathologist or medical examiner. The course is suitable for both forensic toxicologists and forensic pathologists.

The course will address all aspects of the investigation of toxicological death, from the scene investigation, to the autopsy, design of analytical approach tailored to specific types of death, to the interpretation of the results, including assessment of postmortem redistribution. The course will review the forensic pharmacology and toxicology of the major drug categories found in toxic deaths, including opioids, CNS depressants and antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants, CO, CN H2S, as well as less frequently tested-for toxins such as metals, pesticides, and chemical warfare agents.

CME credits will be offered.
9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium
June 2-4, 2020
Miami, Florida

Join more than 200 forensic science colleagues and aspiring scientists from Florida and beyond at the 9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium at the beautiful Florida International University Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami. The symposium will be held June 2-4, 2020.

The 2020 symposium will showcase topics like DNA, chemistry, toxicology, digital forensics and latent prints, and include expanded criminal justice subjects beyond the laboratory. Workshops and a poster session will be included. Registration will be $30 and free for students. Group registration for agencies is also available.

We are looking for innovative topics and dynamic speakers to share their expertise. A call for abstracts will be released soon. 

You can sign up for news on the symposium webpage , follow # FIUForensics for updates, and even visit the event page to set a registration reminder. 

Questions about attending, sponsoring or presenting at the symposium? Email [email protected]
ANAB - Upcoming training events

April 28-May 1, 2020, San Antonio, TX
June 16-19, 2020, Minneapolis, MN
September 15-18, 2020, Washington, D.C.
November 3-6, 2020, Rancho Cordova, CA
 
March 10-13, 2020, Little Rock, AR
April 28-May 1, 2020, New York, NY
May 12-15, 2020, San Francisco, CA
June 9-12, 2020, Milwaukee, WI
June 23-26, 2020, Towson, MD
November 16-19, 2020 Fort Worth, TX

March 16-19, 2020 (11am-1pm ET)
June 23-26, 2020 (2-4pm ET)

March 3-5, 2020 (11am-1pm ET)
June 24-26, 2020 (11am-1pm ET)

April 7-9, 2020, Washington, D.C.

May 5-8, 2020, Washington, D.C.
August 4-7, 2020, St. Louis

May 19, 2020, Cary, NC
May 20-21, 2020, Cary, NC 

April 8-9, 2020, Springfield, VA
ASCLD Partnerships
Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
A2LA WorkPlace Training (A2LA WPT) is a nonprofit organization established with a vision of being the leading management systems, conformity assessment, and measurement training company in the world. Our mission is to provide independent, world-class training programs that inspire confidence in the quality of service and acceptance of results from organizations.
 
Be a leader in your industry by building confidence and consistency in your product through A2LA WPT’s broad spectrum of instructor-led and online e-learning training courses. Move ahead of your competition by learning best practices on international standards, quality systems, technical tools, and soft skill s.
Donate to ASCLD
Donations to ASCLD can now be made online! This is a great way to honor the memory of a forensic colleague, to commemorate a life event for that person who has everything, or to otherwise assist in supporting the tireless efforts of the ASCLD organization in the pursuit of excellence in forensic science management. The donation page can be accessed by clicking HERE or by visiting the ASCLD website and clicking on "Donate to ASCLD" under the "Member Site" tab (this donation page is accessible even to non-members). Please consider donating and do share this information with anyone you think might be interested.
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

65 Glen Road, Suite 123
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.773.2044