The AAFS Past Presidents Council is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Achievement in Forensic Science Award is Lavinia Iancu, PhD, an Associate Member in the Pathology/Biology Section. The award will be presented by John Gerns, Chair of the Past Presidents Council, on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, during the AAFS Annual Business […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, 2017-18 President Scientific evidence is a powerful tool in the search for the truth and the pursuit of justice. As forensic scientists, we have a duty to ensure our results and opinions are valid and reliable. Standards and best practice guidelines provide the foundation for our work and […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President The following statement has been submitted in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) request for input on the future structure of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). STATEMENT OF THE AAFS BOARD OF DIRECTORS The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Board […]
Source: Mary C. McKiel, PhD, Communications Liaison Officer Not all standards are developed in a process that requires consensus, balance, openness, and due process. For example, industry standards, consortia standards, and regulatory standards are developed through their own unique documented procedures and are incredibly useful for their intended purposes. However, in the larger United States and […]
2018 Dues Notices have been posted online and will be mailed shortly. All Student Affiliates and Trainee Affiliates must certify eligibility before a dues notice will be generated. You may login to your AAFS Account Portal to download a .pdf copy of your dues invoice or to make payment with a debit or credit card. If […]
Source: Dean Michael De Crisce, MD, Section Secretary Dear Colleagues, Summer is coming to a close and preparations are underway for our next annual meeting in February in Seattle, WA. Program Chair Paul Fedoroff and Program Co-Chair Sebastien Prat have assembled an innovative and stimulating schedule in line with this year’s topic of Science Matters. […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, 2017-18 President Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleagues throughout Florida who have experienced the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma and its aftermath. Members who wish to help are encouraged to make donations to the American Red Cross.
Source: AAFS Board of Directors The American Academy of Forensic Sciences wholeheartedly commends its membership who provided expertise, wisdom, and guidance to the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) since its 2013 origin. There are 14 Commission Members, 3 Ex-Officio Members, and numerous sub-committee members who are also members of the Academy and the work […]
Source: Dayle L. Hinman, BS Our Future Reflects Our Past: The Evolution of Forensic Science Many people spend their careers immersed in the day-to day-activities and challenges of their chosen profession. Special indeed are those individuals who have the ability to share effectively their knowledge and abilities to better the wider professional community. Remarkable is […]
The Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the appointment of Randy Hanzlick, MD (AAFS Fellow, Pathology/Biology Section), to the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS). Dr. Hanzlick also accepted the invitation to serve as the NCFS Medicolegal Death Investigation subcommittee co-chair alongside NCFS Commissioner John […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, 2017-18 President Scientific evidence is a powerful tool in the search for the truth and the pursuit of justice. As forensic scientists, we have a duty to ensure our results and opinions are valid and reliable. Standards and best practice guidelines provide the foundation for our work and […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, 2017-18 President The week of August 21-25, 2017, I had the pleasure of attending the 21st Triennial Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The opening ceremony highlighted the global span of the 1,440 delegates from 86 countries and 6 continents. IAFS President Michael Pollanen […]
The AAFS Past Presidents Council is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Achievement in Forensic Science Award is Lavinia Iancu, PhD, an Associate Member in the Pathology/Biology Section. The award will be presented by John Gerns, Chair of the Past Presidents Council, on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, during the AAFS Annual Business […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President The following statement has been submitted in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) request for input on the future structure of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). STATEMENT OF THE AAFS BOARD OF DIRECTORS The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Board […]
Source: Cheryl Hunter, AAFS Membership Coordinator As mentioned in the AAFS Basic Requirements for Student and Trainee Affiliate, each Student and Trainee Affiliate must certify eligibility annually. Student and Trainee Affiliate are temporary statuses and may only be held until you have completed the experience required for Associate Member. Please review the section requirements for Trainee […]
2018 Dues Notices have been posted online and will be mailed shortly. All Student Affiliates and Trainee Affiliates must certify eligibility before a dues notice will be generated. You may login to your AAFS Account Portal to download a .pdf copy of your dues invoice or to make payment with a debit or credit card. If […]
Registration will soon be available for the 2018 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting. The online registration system requires payment with a credit or debit card. Please contact Tracie McCray (tmccray@aafs.org) with any questions regarding the registration process.
Source: Mary C. McKiel, PhD, Communications Liaison Officer Not all standards are developed in a process that requires consensus, balance, openness, and due process. For example, industry standards, consortia standards, and regulatory standards are developed through their own unique documented procedures and are incredibly useful for their intended purposes. However, in the larger United States and […]
Announcement: The public comment period has opened for ASB Best Practice Recommendation 021, Best Practices for the Preparation of Test Impressions from Footwear and Tires, First Edition (Comment period closes Monday, October 23, 2017). A reminder that the public comment period is also open for ASB Technical Report 025, Crime Scene/Death Investigation – Dogs and […]
Sources: Amanda R. Hale, MA, YFSF Special Session Chair and Zain Bhaloo, MSc, YFSF Special Session Co-Chair The 2018 YFSF Special Session is coming along great. This year’s Special Session organizers, Amanda Hale (arhale@ncsu.edu) and Zain Bhaloo (zainbhaloo.yfsf@gmail.com), want to thank everyone who volunteered to present at this year’s meeting! There were many fantastic volunteers […]
Source: Alex Krotulski, MSFS, Breakfast Session Chair YFSF Breakfast Session This year’s Breakfast Session Chair and Co-Chair, Alex Krotulski and Erin Houston, have been hard at work planning the 2018 Breakfast Session set to take place in Seattle, WA. The chairs have come up with a creative theme and agenda for the session, started to […]
The Forensic Sciences Foundation (FSF) is pleased to offer Student Travel Grants to assist with travel expenses in attending the 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, WA. The FSF Board of Trustees has allocated $12,000, not to exceed $1,500 per student, including complimentary meeting registration. This is a wonderful […]
Source: Lucy A. Davis, BHS, Chair, FSF International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) Scholarship Committee The Forensic Sciences Foundation (FSF) is pleased to announce the 2017 recipient of the FSF IAFS Scholarship–Gulnaz T. Javan, PhD. Dr. Javan, Member of the AAFS General Section, is an Assistant Professor of Forensic Science at the Alabama State University. […]
Source: Nancy J. Jackson, AAFS Director of Development and Accreditation Pursuant to the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) Policies & Procedures, Policy 4.10 Review of Standards states that FEPAC is tasked with conducting ongoing and comprehensive reviews of its accreditation standards in order to verify that they adequately evaluate educational quality and are relevant […]
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) is asking for your comments on and reaction to the proposed standards shown below for academic programs in forensic investigation and related areas. Background: FEPAC has recently been discussing the possibility of expanding the scope of its accreditation activities to areas other than classic forensic science/criminalistics. A […]