Sharing Our Purpose

The American Board of Criminalistics is looking for DNA screeners, technicians and examiners. This is an opportunity to be a volunteer subject matter expert for creating a new job task analysis in efforts to redevelop the Molecular Biology Certification Examination in Forensic Biology (DNA). Please see the following and link if you are interested.

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Greetings from the American Board of Criminalistics,

In our quest for ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation, we are convening a group of Subject Matter Experts (SME) for a Job Analysis of forensic biology. We are looking for experts who perform “cradle to grave” analysis as well as those whose jobs might be described as either “biology evidence screener” or “forensic DNA analyst,” and handle those aspects of cases separately. If you are chosen, you will meet with a trained facilitator who will take you through the two-day Job Analysis process. This process will identify all of the job duties of a forensic biologist and then separate those job duties into their relevant tasks.

You may be asking yourselves why we are doing this if we already have existing exams. The ABC is constantly striving to improve our exams and part of that is making sure that they are testing the jobs that people are actually performing. We will select participants based on the following (in no particular order): geographic area, experience, gender, and availability.  These distinctions are recommended so that the entire community is properly represented. 

You do not need to be a current ABC certificant to participate. The training will be held in conjunction with the ISHI meeting in Seattle. An additional hotel night and per diem costs will be covered by the ABC; however, there will be no additional compensation for work absences. So please take a moment to fill out the survey found via this link:

http://www.criminalistics.com/MolBio-SME-survey-2017.html

We look forward to working with you.

Regards,

Christopher Hamburg, D-ABC
President

Marie Samples, F-ABC
Chair, Examinations Committee

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will be offering an advanced fire debris training course for federal, state and local government laboratory analysts. Advanced Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist is a course designed for analysts with more than three years of experience in conducting fire debris casework. This course will expand upon the topics covered in the ATF’s Introductory Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist course, providing additional tools and considerations for fire debris analysis, as well as introducing concepts in fire investigations. The Introductory class is not a prerequisite for the Advanced class.

This tuition-free course will be offered at the ATF Forensic Science Laboratory – Washington in Beltsville, Maryland. Although this class is tuition-free, travel costs and per diem expenses are the responsibility of the student or student’s agency.

Course Offerings

August 8-10, 2017: Advanced Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist

Summer, 2018: Introductory Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist

Summer, 2019: Advanced Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist

Please contact Raymond Kuk at 202-648-6140 or Raymond.Kuk@atf.gov with any questions or to obtain an application for the upcoming Advanced Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist course.

Links:   Announcement Flyer                    Application Form

The MAFS response to the The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) 2016 report that was issued on December 12, 2016, may be viewed here.

The 47th  annual MAFS Fall Meeting will be hosted by the Indiana State Police Laboratory in Indianapolis, IN on September 17th – September 21st, 2018. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Union Station in downtown Indianapolis.  The room rate is $129/night plus taxes.  

The theme and logo for the 2018 Fall Meeting will be unveiled at the 2017 Fall Meeting in Cincinnati.    

Dates: September 17th – 21th, 2018
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel – Union Station, in Downtown Indianapolis.
Address: 123 W. Louisiana Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225
Website: www.crowneplaza.com/ind-downtown
Hotel Rate:$129/night plus taxes  

The 47th  annual MAFS Fall Meeting will be hosted by the Indiana State Police Laboratory in Indianapolis, IN on September 17th – September 21st, 2018. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Union Station in downtown Indianapolis.  The room rate is $129/night plus taxes.  

The theme and logo for the 2018 Fall Meeting will be unveiled at the 2017 Fall Meeting in Cincinnati.    

Dates: September 17th – 21th, 2018
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel – Union Station, in Downtown Indianapolis.
Address: 123 W. Louisiana Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225
Website: www.crowneplaza.com/ind-downtown
Hotel Rate:$129/night plus taxes  

Details for exhibitor information has now been posted for the MAFS 2017 Fall Meeting!  More information can be found here.

The MAFS 2016 Fall Meeting planners are offering for sale a polo shirt with a full-colored embroidered MAFS logo.  The polos are 65:35 cotton:polyester and are stone colored.  Polos are available in men’s and women’s styles, sizes for both are XS-3XL.  Prices are $23 each for XS-XL, add $2.00 for 2XL; $3.00 for 3XL) Shipping is an additional $6.  Shirts can be picked up by someone else attending the meeting, you will just need to designate who will be picking your shirt up for you. 

TO ORDER CLICK

 HERE

PLEASE NOTE

This order form is for purchases by those who will not be attending the meeting.  If you plan to go to the meeting in Branson, you will be able to purchase your shirt when you register for the meeting on CVENT! 

Registration for the 45th Annual MAFS Fall Meeting is now open!   Please click the link below for details:

Registration Link