Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST For police and forensic chemists, opening a bag of suspicious powder that might contain fentanyl can be dangerous because of the risk of accidental inhalation. More of the powder becomes airborne than one might think. Scientists at The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated the […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat The ASB is pleased to announce that the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) has approved the addition of ANSI/ASB Standard 017, Standard Practices for Measurement Traceability in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 2018 for listing on the OSAC Registry. The OSAC Registry […]
Source: Sabra R. Botch-Jones, MS, Section Program Chair The Organization of Scientific Area Communities for Forensic Sciences (OSAC) Toxicology Subcommittee recently released a draft document titled “Standard for Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology.” Click here to access the document. This document has been accepted by the Academy Standards Board (ASB) for development as an American […]
Source: Mary C. McKiel, PhD, ASB Communications Liaison The Organization of Scientific Area Communities (OSAC), housed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recently invited OSAC professional association representatives to share information on OSAC events with their members. The invitation highlighted the opportunity to comment on inclusion of two forensic related standards, published […]
Source: Kenneth E. Melson, JD, AAFS CFSO Liaison The CFSO is extremely excited to bring this message to you today. The $1.3 trillion omnibus spending package, which will fund the government for FY18, was signed into law by President Trump on March 23. The House voted 256-167 in favor and the Senate voted 65-32. This […]
Source: Paul D. Emanovsky, PhD, Section Secretary Many thanks to all of the presenters and attendees who made the Seattle program successful this year. Please join me in congratulating our colleagues who received awards during the AAFS 70th Annual Scientific Meeting. The T. Dale Stewart Award: P. Willey was awarded the 2017 T. Dale Stewart […]
Source: Lucy A. Davis, BHS, Chair, ASB Board of Directors Over the past year, I have had the honor of representing the AAFS on the OSAC Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB). My position on this Board is to represent the AAFS membership concerning the OSAC process and selection of standards to be placed on the […]
Source: Mary C. McKiel, PhD, ASB Communications Liaison Officer On August 30 of this year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a Request For Information (RFI) on potential organizational changes to the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). NIST, along with the Department of Justice, established OSAC to facilitate development of sound […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, 2017-18 President In 2016, roughly 64,000 people in the United States died from drug overdoses, more than triple the number from 2000. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and its novel analogs have played a major part in this public health crisis. To address this epidemic, law enforcement and public […]
Source: Noelle J. Umback, PhD, Section Program Co-Chair The theme of the 2018 AAFS meeting is Science Matters. The general public often believes that when something scientific is reported, it has become fact. However, we know that change is at the heart of the Scientific Method. Experimentation may answer some questions about a particular biological […]
Source: Steven C. Clark, PhD, Section Secretary Another summer is history, and fall is here. Now is the time to make your plans to attend the 2018 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, WA. Hotels around the Washington State Convention Center fill up quickly because Seattle is such a great meeting site! There are […]
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 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a Request for Information (RFI) via the United States Federal Register to gather feedback about the structure, function, and mission of OSAC 2.0. As you may recall, NIST has been clear since the beginning of OSAC three […]
Source: Pamela A.W. King, JD, Section Secretary Many section members know that Fellow Ted Hunt has left his long-time position as a prosecutor in Kansas and was recently appointed to lead the new Forensic Science Working Group (FSWG) for the Department of Justice. This Working Group will be tasked with the responsibility of making uniform […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS, AAFS President The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) looks forward to working with the Justice Department and others to advance forensic science. Forensic science is a crucial tool in the search for the truth that must be available to all participants in the justice system. Collaboration with the […]
Source: Betty Layne DesPortes, JD, MS On May 13, 2017, I had the honor of speaking at the commencement exercises for the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Forensic Sciences. This Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) -accredited program had 45 Bachelor of Science graduates and 15 Master of Science graduates for 2017. When I […]
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: Mary McKiel, PhD The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Standards Board (ASB) standardization work began a little more than a year ago with the process of establishing and populating Consensus Bodies (CB) to conduct the work of standards writing. Since that time, progress has been outstanding. There are 33 standardization projects well underway […]
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 […]