President's Message
If you remember from a couple of weeks ago, ASCLD announced that in cooperation with FTCoE, we were going to be able to present three of our plenary topics from the 2020 Symposium in an “ASCLD Emerging Issues” webinar series. Registration is now open. Visit https://forensiccoe.org/webinar/ascld-emerging-issues to register. I have included the webinar titles and speakers below as a reminder. Sign up for the webinars today! Did I mention, they are free?
 
Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Resiliency for Forensic Science Professionals
Thursday, June 11th, 2020
1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET
Speakers: Andrew Levin, Jonathan McGrath, Heidi Putney, & Danielle Crimmin s

Tackling Employee Wellness: The Phoenix Police Department’s Crime Lab Approach
Thursday, June 18th, 2020
1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET
Speaker: Jody Wolf

Drug Exposures in the Forensic Laboratory: What We Know, What We Can Learn
Thursday, June 25th, 2020
1:00:00 PM ET – 2:30:00 PM ET
Speaker: Robert Kirkby

“One word of encouragement can be enough to spark someone’s motivation to continue with a difficult challenge.”
―  Roy T. Bennett
 
Enjoy the week – stay healthy.
Brooke
Looking Ahead
June 17, 2020 - Annual Meeting - virtual (1pm EST)
Weekly News and Resources
Community Research, Newsletters, and Surveys

Briggs White recipient for 2020 Kermit Channell is interviewed by ASCLD member and previous Briggs White recipient John Collins in the link below. Please find time to listen to Kermit and his thoughts and insights to leadership and the forensic community. Kermit is the Executive Director of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory.  

The video can be viewed here .  

This research shows how microscopic particles—in this case, from drug powders—can be spread around a forensic chemistry lab when handling evidence. The spread of small amounts of drug particles cannot be completely eliminated, but it’s important for labs to manage the problem, both for reasons of workplace safety and to ensure that measurement quality isn’t affected
ASCLD is leading the review and update of three of the IFSA MRDs. Your comments and suggested updates are appreciated.  Please contact the lead reviewer for each document with your suggestions:
Kevin Lothridge (seized drugs), Erin Forry (DNA), and Brooke Arnone (Crime Scene)

Message from the Trauma & Stress Working Group:

Recently, the Trauma & Stress Working group has added a document to the Manger’s Toolkit which will help managers detect and mitigate stress, vicarious trauma, and burnout in forensic practitioners. The timely detection and mitigation of these issues is critical for the individual's well-being and the employer's retention of productive employees. We would like to encourage everyone review the document  Management Detection and Mitigation of Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Burnout in Forensic Practitioners
Forensic Research Committee Bulletin - March Issue
The goal of the Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP) is to facilitate collaborative research between academia and forensic science laboratories. This joint effort between the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD) and the Council of Forensic Science Educators (COFSE) identifies forensic science needs and provides a platform for laboratories, researchers, and students to seek projects aligning with their mutual research capabilities. Read more... 
2020 Research Innovation Award (from the Forensic Research Award Committee):

Amber K. Burns, Chemistry Section Manager for the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division.

See the FRC webpage for more information
Funding Opportunities
For the most up to date Funding Opportunities visit: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/current

FY 2020 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence Due June 15, 2020

FY 2020 Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence – Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting (SAFE-ITR) Program Due June 15, 2020

FY2020 Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program Due June 15, 2020

FY 2020 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program – Competitive
Due June 19, 2020

FY 2020 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program – Formula
Due June 19, 2020

Standards Corner


Click HERE to review standards available for comment.

OSAC News
May 2020 OSAC Standards Bulletin now available, click HERE
National forensic science organization approves standards for interpreting DNA mixtures.
 
These new standards include detailed requirements for conducting validation studies for DNA mixture interpretation, developing protocols from them and verifying that those protocols work correctly.
Training
Join forensic science colleagues and aspiring scientist from around the world at the Virtual 9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium via a secure Zoom webinar.

This year's symposium will showcase topics like DNA, chemistry, toxicology, digital forensics and latent prints, and include expanded criminal justice subjects beyond the laboratory. Workshops and poster session will be included.

More information can be found here . 
FREE 2020 Forensic Symposium: Current Trends in Forensic Toxicology
Register now at www.forensicsymposium.org
For additional information, please visit  https://iafs2020.com.au/
ANAB - Upcoming training events

August 3-6, 2020, Live Online
September 15-18, 2020, Washington, D.C.
November 3-6, 2020, Rancho Cordova, CA

June 1-4, 2020, 11 am-5 pm ET, Live Online
July 28-31, 2020, 11 am-5 pm ET, Live Online
August 24-27, 2020, 11 am-5 pm ET, Live Online
October 6-9, 2020, San Francisco, CA
November 16-19, 2020, Fort Worth, TX
November 17-20, 2020, Washington, D.C.

June 23-26, 2020 (2-4pm ET), Live Online
September 14-17, 2020 (11am-1pm ET), Live Online
December 1-4, 2020 (11am-1pm ET), Live Online

September 14-16, 2020 (2pm-4pm ET), Live Online
November 30-December 2, 2020 (2pm-4pm ET), Live Online

August 4-7, 2020, St. Louis, MO
 
July 20-21, 2020, Live Online

July 14-15, 2020, Live Online

ASCLD Partnerships
Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
A2LA WorkPlace Training (A2LA WPT) is a nonprofit organization established with a vision of being the leading management systems, conformity assessment, and measurement training company in the world. Our mission is to provide independent, world-class training programs that inspire confidence in the quality of service and acceptance of results from organizations.
 
Be a leader in your industry by building confidence and consistency in your product through A2LA WPT’s broad spectrum of instructor-led and online e-learning training courses. Move ahead of your competition by learning best practices on international standards, quality systems, technical tools, and soft skill s.
Donate to ASCLD
Donations to ASCLD can now be made online! This is a great way to honor the memory of a forensic colleague, to commemorate a life event for that person who has everything, or to otherwise assist in supporting the tireless efforts of the ASCLD organization in the pursuit of excellence in forensic science management. The donation page can be accessed by clicking HERE or by visiting the ASCLD website and clicking on "Donate to ASCLD" under the "Member Site" tab (this donation page is accessible even to non-members). Please consider donating and do share this information with anyone you think might be interested.
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

65 Glen Road, Suite 123
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.773.2044