News

Bowling Green State University's Delta Delta Epsilon chapter is hosting a virtual "Post-Graduation Panel for Forensic Scientists" on November 19th at 3:30 PM EST. The Zoom link can found here and a flyer about the event may be viewed at this link.

Register for the webinar here.

The American Board of Criminalistics needs your help!  After many months of preparation, we are ready to offer field testing of our new Seized Drug Analysis examination.  We are seeking candidates to take the field test for the Seized Drug Analysis exam.  There is no application or sitting fee to sit for this field test.  If a candidate successfully completes the examination and wishes to be certified, they only need to pay the application fee, a savings of $250! The ABC needs field testing of new certification exams to help evaluate the exams. 

PLEASE NOTE:  We anticipate using electronic testing for this field test.  We are still finalizing the development of this platform.  At this time, we will NOT be allowing the use of MacOS devices.   More information on the examination and the electronic examination process can be found on our Seized Drug Analysis page.

If you wish to take the examination, please complete the application form found on our Application Process page.   You do not need to pay any application or examination fees at this time.  We will post offerings on our Offerings page.  Please keep an eye out for offerings.  Once you identify an offering that you wish to attend, please complete the Request for Examination Seat form found on our Application Process page. 

We are also seeking hosts for the Seized Drug Analysis examination.  If your agency wishes to host an exam, that can be arranged.   Please review the requirements for hosting examinations.  Due to the technical nature of these offerings, we are requesting that a Local Arrangements Coordinator be identified and complete the necessary checklist prior to requesting an examination.  The links to the checklist and the Request to Host the examination can be found on our Host an Examination page.  At this time, we will not be offering electronic examinations at regional or national forensic meetings or conferences.

Click here for an informational flyer for the 2024 Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists (NWAFS) Virtual Annual Conference. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is performing a research investigation into the exposure of illicit drugs among forensic laboratory workers.  The study aims to measure the unintentional occupational exposure to illicit drugs among public safety workers in forensic laboratories, evaluate the current practices and personal protection equipment utilized, and recommend engineering controls and standard operating procedures to reduce and remove exposures to illicit drugs. Participation is anonymous, voluntary, and is at no cost to the facility.

NIOSH is seeking volunteers who work in forensic laboratories and regularly handle suspected controlled substances. An informational flyer can be found here. If you have questions or are interested in participating, please contact Jennie Cox directly at jcox@cdc.gov or qxi3@cdc.gov.

Click here to register for the 2024 MAFS Annual Fall Meeting.

You can find the ABC Spring 2024 newsletter here. If you have any questions regarding the ABC, please reach out to our representative, Danielle Hankinson.

ABC Newsletter - Spring 2024

Greetings MAFS Members,

Are you interested in being more involved with MAFS?  Consider running for one of four open Board of Directors’ offices:

President – Elect

Secretary

Fall Meeting Manager

Member-at-Large

The attachment provides a brief description of duties.  For a full description, refer to the Administrative Rules.

If you or someone you know is interested, please complete the Nomination Form found under the “Resources” tab after you login to the MAFS website (www.MAFS.net). Forms are due by June 15, 2024.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

Jill Baker

MAFS Past President

Nomination Committee Chair

Jillian.baker@dupagesheriff.org

P: 630-407-2103

The AFQAM Executive Board is pleased to announce the release of the AFQAM Cooperative Training Program! This training program is designed for those new to forensic quality assurance and will provide a key steppingstone to achieving success in the position and with the responsibilities. The training program was developed by experienced forensic quality assurance experts and is broken up into courses that focus on key topics in quality assurance. The first two courses available are ‘Introduction to ISO’ and ‘Accreditation – What Is It Good For?’.

The AFQAM Cooperative Training Program is open to everyone, and you do not need to be an AFQAM member to participate. Each course can be purchased individually, and a certificate of completion will be given to the student at the successful completion of the course. The interactive training will keep you engaged, motivated, and eager to learn as you progress through the course.

This training program is ideal for those new to quality assurance or interested in quality assurance such as new Quality Manager’s, Technical Leader’s, new hires, or other roles that assist with quality assurance in the laboratory. Whether you are simply seeking to learn more about what the job entails, or seeking tools to help you succeed in your job, this is for you!

To review the available courses and register please follow this link: https://afqam.org/cooperative/

Additional courses will be released in the near future.

For questions, please email contact@afqam.org