Submit your abstract for presentation at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. The AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting will be held February 19-24, 2018, in Seattle, WA, at the Washington State Convention Center. The theme for the upcoming meeting is Science Matters. The deadline for abstract submission is August 1! Presenting authors […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President On Friday, June 16, 2017, the Trump administration announced plans to alter the regulations controlling travel to Cuba that were put in place by the Obama administration. From initial reports, the new regulations are not expected to significantly impact the AAFS International Educational Outreach Program (IEOP) to […]
Source: Robert Barsley, DDS, JD, AAFS Past President The 10th ISABS Conference on Forensic and Anthropologic Genetics and Mayo Clinic Lectures in Individualized Medicine, June 19-24, 2017, is underway in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Among the members of the audience is the President of Croatia, Kolynda Grabar-Kitarović. The conference is hosted by Dragan Primorac, Criminalistics Section Fellow […]
Source: Pamela A.W. King, JD, Jurisprudence Section Secretary; Article by Donald J. Ramsell, JD On May 1 in honor of National Law Day, President Betty Layne DesPortes announced a newsfeed project soliciting articles discussing significant or interesting cases concerning the use of science in the justice system. All sections were encouraged to submit cases that highlight […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President Decision of the United States Supreme Court in Moore v. Texas Issued March 28, 2017 The recent Moore v. Texas, 581 U.S. ____, 137 S.Ct. 1039 (2017) decision marks the third United States Supreme Court ruling in the past 15 years related to the imposition of the […]
At the 2017 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, Sondra Doolittle noted that AAFS has been in the process of revising the AAFS POLICY ON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, ABSTRACTS, AND PRESENTATIONS regarding the disclosure of commercial products in abstracts, presentations, and Conflicts of Interest (COI). The requirements changed and the upcoming revision of the […]
Attendees of the 69th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, LA, were asked to identify any continuing education needs they would like to see addressed at future meetings. The following list of topics was suggested: Multidisciplinary Sessions (Pathology/Biology and Toxicology, Pathology/Biology and Jurisprudence) Workshop regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), Abusive Head Trauma (AHT), and alternative […]
The Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) has announced that Dr. Robert E. Barsley has been elected Chair of the Executive Committee, effective January 1, 2017. Dr. Barsley is a professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and director of Oral Health Resources and Community and Hospital Dentistry at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President The Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested public comment on how the Department should move forward to evaluate and improve the underlying science of forensic evidence, improve the operational management systems of forensic science service providers, and improve the understanding of forensic science by legal practitioners. The […]
Source: Kenneth E. Melson, JD, AAFS Representative The April 2017 Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations newsletter is now available. Click HERE for the full edition.
Source: Tanisha V. Henson, MFS The Brazilian Academy of Forensic Sciences received 34 submissions for the Young Forensic Scientist Scholarship. The articles were reviewed by a scientific panel of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and were graded on three categories: Relevance to Forensics, Innovation/Scientific Merit, and Analytical Approach. The ten submissions with the highest […]
Source: Diane Faugno, MSN, General Section Retired Fellow April is the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The chances of being a sexual assault victim in your lifespan are high. Statics often quote one in three females and one in six males will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. Unfortunately, this is a […]
Source: Joyce Williams, DNP, General Section Fellow Human trafficking has received more visibility worldwide and is the fastest form of commerce nationally. Because it is such a lucrative business, preventative attempts are seen in many states. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report provides profit statistics for forced labor/labor trafficking and sex trafficking annually. In 2014, […]
Source: C. Ken Williams, MS, JD, Criminalistics Section Board of Directors Representative The Department of Justice extended an invitation to the AAFS to attend the 13th Meeting of the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) in Washington, DC, on April 10-11. As the Criminalistics Section Board of Directors Representative, I was given the privilege of […]
Source: Linda C. Jackson, AAFS Member, Criminalistics Section For the past three years, Virginia has been working to completely overhaul the way sexual assault kits or Physical Evidence Recovery Kits (PERKs) are handled in the Commonwealth. Through bipartisan legislative efforts, multidisciplinary stakeholder work groups, sexual assault kit grants, and state funds, Virginia is pursuing multiple approaches […]
On Friday, April 14, 2017, Board of Directors member C. Ken Williams spoke at a presentation of the Forensics Uncut student group at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ken spoke to the group about his personal journey as a person of color in the field of forensic science and the role that the American Academy of Forensic […]
Source: Christine Funk, JD, Program Chair April is here! It won’t be long before the Academy opens Abstract Submissions. The submission deadline is August 1, 2017. This year’s meeting theme is “Science Matters,” focusing on broadening AAFS and forensic science horizons. Under this umbrella, we are focusing on Research, Diversity, and Communication. Research: By emphasizing […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President As the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) sunsets, AAFS members who serve as NCFS members, invited presenters, and interested attendees met in Washington, DC, on April 10-11, 2017. Board of Director Representative C. Ken Williams and Past President Carol Henderson were among the invited presenters at […]
Source: Carol Rose, ABA Criminal Justice Section For the eighth year, the American Bar Association (ABA) Criminal Justice Section, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics will bring together experts, including academics, prosecutors, defense lawyers, scientists, and others to discuss forensic evidence and its impact on the […]
As an incentive to attend the 2017 AAFS Annual Business Meeting, all Fellows and Members in attendance were automatically entered in a random drawing to receive a complimentary meeting registration to attend the 2018 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, WA, February 19-24, 2018. Congratulations to Barbara Needell, DMD, a Fellow of the Odontology Section — this […]