Just Science

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 IAI Forensic Art Science and Practice Committee.

With over 700 cases in her career, Suzanne Birdwell understands the nuances of forensic artistry. Through a collaborative process, forensic artists create likenesses to aid in recognition and identification of a criminal, a decedent, or a missing person. Listen along as our guest discusses sketching from memory, facial reconstruction, age progression, and other aspects of forensic artistry.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 2018 International Forensic Educational Conference in San Antonio, Texas. This conference, held by the International Association for Identification, represents a diverse and knowledgeable membership that meets annually to educate and share techniques, methods, and research into the various forensic science disciplines. In episode one of the Identification season, Just Science interviews Lesley Hammer, former president of the International Association for Identification and the current Chair of the Education Committee of the IAI. Listen along as she discusses pattern and impression evidence collection and the future of IAI.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 casualty event.

Any loss of life is a tragedy, but nothing compares to the loss at a mass casualty event. Special Agent Richard Marx has seen quite a few of them in his career. Since joining the Evidence Response Team in 2006, Marx has been involved in the support efforts following disasters both domestic and abroad. Listen along as he discusses the necessity for interdepartmental collaboration and the feeling of service following a mass casualty event in this week’s episode of Just Science.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 his philosophy of giving the right answer at the right time.

In 2003, the New York Times labelled the Houston Police Crime Lab as one of the worst forensic sciences facilities in the country. Fifteen years later, that reputation has been completely overhauled. In that time, Dr. Peter Stout and his team have done incredible things with this once troubled program. Stay tuned as he discusses how they utilize total transparency and blind proficiency testing to improve the reputation and quality of the Houston Forensic Science Center in this episode of Just Science.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 community.

Complete transparency is a rare concept in the forensics and law enforcement communities. But for Ramit Plushnick-Masti and the Houston Forensic Science Center, it is standard procedure. Through her anecdotes and experience, listen as Ramit Plushnick-Masti discusses the cultivation of trust and the value of transparency in this installment of Just Science.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

In episode eight of the Forensic Advancement season, Just Science interviews Ron Smith. Smith is a 45-year veteran of latent print analysis and the current president of Ron Smith and Associates, a Mississippi-based company that provides training, consulting, and proficiency testing services to the forensics community.

Over the last 30 years, Smith has witnessed a shift in the role of the forensic scientist in the criminal justice system. He believes that being an expert witness, exhibiting fairness, and staying current are now the most important parts of being a forensic scientist. Listen in as he discusses this shift in more detail and the direction the field of forensic sciences is headed in this installment of Just Science.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 in the fight against the current opioid epidemic.

Opioid overdose is on the rise and fentanyl, one of the most prevalent opioids out there, is becoming more difficult to identify. By using the Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Mass Spectrometer, Burns and her team can detect the presence of fentanyl and other chemicals in recovered samples. Listen along as she discusses the technology they use and the current state of the opioid crisis in Maryland in this episode of Just Science.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

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 are a polarizing and often stereotyped population. Whether it’s diamonds or dining chains, they seem to be the scapegoats for the decline of many industries. Ben Swanholm believes that millennials are a group of people molded from the legacy given to them. Listen along as he discusses technological growth, social identity, and generational values as they integrate into the forensic sciences.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) seeks to promote humanitarian and human rights in the field of forensic sciences and the NIJ. The FTCoE will help to support key international agencies chosen by the HHRRC to improve the practice of forensic science and strengthen its impact on humanitarian and human rights issues through training and education and dissemination of best practices and guidelines. Some of the main focuses for the program are evidence preservation, training, research, and capacity building around the world. Research discussed in this Just So You Know episode includes looking at skeletal remains from the mass violence in Cambodia, develop the capacity of anthropology in Mexico, how nerve agents are incorporated into bones, and much more. Just Science interviews Dr. Douglas Ubelaker about the HHRRC’s efforts and his contributions to an in-brief about how the NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence aids their mission.

This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].

In episode five of the forensic advancement season, Just Science interviews Katie Fetherston, the Laboratory Director for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Brian Hoey, the director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Crime Laboratory Division, and Jeremy Triplett, the Laboratory Supervisor for Kentucky State Police to discuss the ASCLD Rapid DNA committee efforts.

In addition to implementing Rapid DNA technology in law enforcement units for investigative leads, the technology can be used in disaster victim identification (DVI). The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) recognizes that the forensic science community can aid these efforts. Listen along as Katie Fetherston, Brian Hoey, and Jeremy Triplett discus how Law enforcement, DVI, and forensic laboratory subcommittees of the ASCLD Rapid DNA Task Force provide coordination and oversight, assisting in facilitating communication, along with developing best practices and guidance documents.

This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.