In episode four of the Improving the System season. Just Science interviews Sarah Chu, Senior Adviser on Forensic Science Policy at the Innocence Project, about their work to end wrongful conviction. Currently, there are over 2,500 cases on the National Registry of Exonerations. Organizations like the Innocence Project work tirelessly to put an end to wrongful convictions. […]
In episode three of the Improving the System season, Just Science interviews John Paul Jones and Mark Stolorow of NIST about the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science. The 2009 National Academy of Sciences report on forensic science cited a lack of national leadership and scientifically sound standards. Its authors specifically looked to NIST to […]
In episode two of the Improving the System season, Just Science met with Gerry LaPorte, former Director of the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at NIJ, to discuss forensic science research and development innovations. Over the course of his career, Gerry LaPorte has worked with scores of agencies across multiple disciplines on varied, high-profile cases. […]
In episode one of the Improving the System season, Just Science interviews Dr. Jonathan McGrath, Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at the National Institute of Justice, about the recently published NIJ Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner, Coroner Offices Report to Congress. Listen along as he discusses the findings […]
Over the last few years, the National Institute of Justice has placed an increasingly large emphasis on the influence of work-related stress on mental health. In this special release episode, Just Science interviews Amy Jeanguenat and Andrew Levin, two experts in the field of workforce resiliency, about the impact of vicarious trauma on forensic scientists, […]
In the final episode of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Jayann Sepich, co-founder of the non-profit organization DNA Saves, about lawfully owed arrestee DNA. In 2003, 22-year-old Katie Sepich was raped and murdered within five blocks of her home in New Mexico. Using skin and blood found under her fingernails, investigators were able to produce a full DNA profile […]
In episode seven of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Molly Hall, an examiner for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, about their transition to a Direct-to-DNA approach to processing sexual assault kits. The United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory acts as the true crime lab for the entire Department of Defense and serves all […]
Just Improving Workflow Efficiency In episode six of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Leslie Parke and Jamie Haas of Signature Science, a private DNA laboratory based in Austin, Texas, about increasing workflow efficiency in their lab. From twenty cases a month to thousands of cases per year, Signature Science has shown significant growth in their […]
Just the Golden State Killer In the last episode of Just Science, Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter shared her techniques for creating family trees and discussed the resolution of her first cold case. In episode five of the DNA season, we continue that conversation. In February 2017, Forensic Magazine published an article detailing the Bear Brook Murders, an abandoned […]
Just Investigative Genetic Genealogy In episode four of the DNA season, Just Science interviews Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter, genetic genealogist and volunteer search angel with DNAadoption.org, about investigative genetic genealogy and its use in forensic science. From computer programmer to patent attorney, Dr. Rae-Venter’s career has taken many unexpected turns. But no one would have predicted the impact […]
