President's Message
Buenos Dias!

The first part of the week finds me in Mexico City participating in the Third Annual International Forensic Science Symposium sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). This symposium brings together over 200 Forensic Science Experts and serves as an exchange platform for our Latin American colleagues. I am very honored to have been asked to not only participate in the Symposium, but also to present on the topic Laboratory Management with a Quality Assurance System: Challenges and Opportunities. I am looking forward to meeting many new colleagues, as well as, getting reconnected with others that I have met at past ASCLD Symposiums. I know that I will be learning a lot from the group of attendees and hope that they learn something from me as well.

On a more personal note and a little bragging: The second part of the week finds me in the south. The proud mom in me wants to share that my son is graduating from Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) school with the Army. It has been a long, grueling 9-month program, but he is graduating with all his fingers and toes. Before he heads off to Germany, we will be taking part in the celebration of National Roller Coaster day, which happens to be August 16. So just in case you happen to be at Six Flags over Georgia and hear some crazy lady screaming…it just might be me!
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.”
Audrey Hepburn

Enjoy your week –
Brooke
Looking Ahead
July 29 – September 2019 – Abstract Submissions accepted for the 2020 Symposium
August 16, 2019 - Board of Directors Meeting - teleconference
September 13-15, 2019  - Board of Directors Meeting - Utah (in person)
September 15 – 21, 2019  National Forensic Science Week
September – October – Fall 2019 ASCLD Leadership Academy – Austin, Texas
October 18, 2019 – Board of Directors Meeting – teleconference
November 15, 2019 – Board of Directors Meeting - teleconference
ASCLD is pleased to announce that the 2020 ASCLD Symposium website is live!  Come explore the website and watch for upcoming events such as, the exhibitor floor plan launch, agenda development, hotel registration and the opening of the symposium registration.
 
Visit the 2020 ASCLD Symposium website at  https://www.ascldsymposium.com/
Weekly News and Resources
Community Research and Surveys
Forensic Compensation Survey
 
The Kentucky State Police is conducting a national forensic compensation survey to identify salary and benefit trends across the United States. Upon completion, the aggregated results of the survey will be published as a resource for all crime laboratories. Please consider completing this short survey about compensation in your laboratory. If you have questions, please contact Jeremy Triplett at  jeremy.triplett@ky.gov .  
The survey can be found at:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RGSDRMT


Foresight
Will your laboratory be among the 2020 FORESIGHT Maximus award winners? Click HERE to download the LABRAT form and for more information.
Training
A2LA WPT – Upcoming training events
ISO/IEC 17022017 for Laboratory
Competence
August 6-7, 2019 Livonia, MI
September 11-12, 2019, Grand Rapids, MI

Leading an Effective ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Audit Team
September 16-20, 2019, Frederick, MD
September 23-27, 2019 Troy, MI
November 18-22, 2019, Frederick, MD

Introduction to Measurement Uncertainty
August 7, 2019, Denver, CO
September 10, 2019, Frederick, MD

Effective Training Strategies
September 20, 2019, Frederick, MD
Applied Measurement Uncertainty for Testing
Laboratories
August 8-9, 2019, Denver, CO
September 11-12, 2019, Frederick, MD

Auditing Your Laboratory to ISO/IEC 17025:2017
August 7-8, 2019, Grayslake, IL
August 28-29, 2019, Frederick, MD
October 3-4, 2019, Grayslake, IL

Managing Risk in Laboratory Processes
August 15, 2019, Frederick, MD
September 10, 2019, Grand Rapids, MI

Introduction to Method Validation
September 26, 2019, Denver, CO
9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium
June 2-4, 2020
Miami, Florida

Join more than 200 forensic science colleagues and aspiring scientists from Florida and beyond at the 9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium at the beautiful Florida International University Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami. The symposium will be held June 2-4, 2020.

The 2020 symposium will showcase topics like DNA, chemistry, toxicology, digital forensics and latent prints, and include expanded criminal justice subjects beyond the laboratory. Workshops and a poster session will be included. Registration will be $30 and free for students. Group registration for agencies is also available.

We are looking for innovative topics and dynamic speakers to share their expertise. A call for abstracts will be released soon. 

You can sign up for news on the symposium webpage , follow # FIUForensics for updates, and even visit the event page to set a registration reminder. 

Questions about attending, sponsoring or presenting at the symposium? Email forensic@fiu.edu
HIT Workshop: Are You Prepared for a Mass Fatality Incident Response?
When: Sunday, September 22, 2019
Where: ISHI 2019- Palm Sprins, CA
Cost : Free
Click here for more information

Mass fatality incidents require an accurate and timely response. Rapid DNA is becoming an increasingly sought-after tool for identifying victims of mass fatality incidents as it saves time and money by making identifications faster. Planning for a mass fatality can feel overwhelming, but not being prepared leads to an error-prone and stressful response. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) is leading efforts to help jurisdictions prepare for a mass fatality response.

This workshop is applicable to DNA analysts, supervisors and management and builds upon the efforts of the ASCLD Rapid DNA Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Subcommittee. During the workshop, participants will work collaboratively in small groups through a tabletop exercise to evaluate the mass fatality incident and organize an appropriate Rapid DNA response for victim identification using the ASCLD response tools and best practices.

The goal of the workshop is to provide participants the opportunity to walk through a mass fatality DNA response in a low-stress environment using the ASCLD Rapid DNA Task Force DVI Subcommittee response planning deliverables.

This free workshop will take place on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at the 2019 International Symposium on Human Identification in Palm Springs, CA. Pre-registration is required. Please visit https://www.ishinews.com/events/hita-workshop/ to sign up!
Digital and Multimedia Forensics: The Impact of Disturbing Media
August 28th, 2019 
1:00 PM ET

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has an upcoming webinar titled “Digital and Multimedia Forensics: The Impact of Disturbing Media” with speaker Dr. Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar. The webinar is scheduled for August 28 th at 1:00 PM ET. Dr. Seigfried-Spellar will discuss the impact of viewing or hearing heinous acts on analysts. The goal is to better understand the well-being of digital and multimedia forensic analysts and to identify successful interventions to alleviate burnout and psychological effects. As leaders among Forensic Science professionals we would like to encourage participation in this educational webinar.
For additional information, please visit  https://iafs2020.com.au/

ANAB - Upcoming training events
visit www.anab.org


September 9-12, 2019, Springfield, VA
December 10-13, 2019, Emeryville, CA
 
September 24-27, 2019, Largo, FL
October 27-30, 2019, Austin, TX
December 10-13, 2019, Mesa, AZ
 
September 17-20, 2019 (11am-1pm ET)
 
November 13-15, 2019 (11am-1pm ET)
 
August 28-29, 2019, Minneapolis, MN
September 12-13, 2019, San Jose, CA


Digital Forensics Training

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nations' criminal justice system. Below is some information on digital forensics training opportunities (both classroom or virtual/online) and resources funded by BJA, including the Law Enforcement Cyber Center, and trainings organized by NW3C. NW3C is the training and technical assistance provider under the BJA Economic, High-Technology, White Collar, and Internet Crime Prevention National TTA Program. BJA has also encouraged online course offerings to save time/costs of travel, and included trainings for prosecutors, too. (Note: some NW3C courses sponsored apart from BJA funding may have a cost).  Click the links below for more information:
Forensic Research Committee
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...
Newly Identified Novels Psychoactive Substances

Recent Additions:
(click drug name for more information)
The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) at the Fredric Rieders Family Foundation, have received funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop systems for the early identification and notification of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in the drug supply in the United States. The goal of the program is the early identification of these substances in seized drug and forensic toxicology casework samples through various high resolution mass spectrometry retrospective data-mining and sample-mining techniques. Information about these programs can be found on our website .
Opioid Legislation
Over the past several months, Congress has been developing new legislation aimed at addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic, providing additional funding, and building on the   Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that became law in 2016. Congressional leaders announced an agreement on   H.R. 6 - the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act .   Continue reading...

Federal Corner
DEA Updates

NFLIS Program for Toxicology and ME/Coroners Expansion

Emerging Trends Program

Reference Materials Program

Real-time Network

Fentanyl Signature Profiling Program

DEA Resources

CBP Program Updates

The US Customs and Border Protection has alerted ASCLD to a monthly phone call about drugs being seen by CBP. As CBP provides a first line of defense for the United States, these calls present early warnings of what might be coming to state and local crime labs. This teleconference is called the Scientific Trends Online Network Exchange (STONE) and is organized through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) network.

HIDTA Updates

ASCLD is currently forming stronger bonds with the HIDTA and specifically the HIDTA National Emerging Trends Initiative. A meeting is being organized in Cleveland in November to discuss ASCLD/HIDTA partnership on emerging drug data sharing.

USDOT NHTSA Updates

NHTSA has a working group evaluating the existing Recommendations for Toxicological Investigation of Drug-Impaired Driving and Motor Vehicle Fatalities . The working group is going to put out the existing recommendations for public comment and possible federal endorsement, and work on related data collection issues.

Standards Corner


Click HERE to review standards available for comment.

OSAC News
July 2019 OSAC Standards Bulletin now available, click HERE
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.
Newsletters
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