President's Message
Dear ASCLD Colleagues,
 
Many of us celebrated Independence Day this past weekend. Perhaps the celebration was a bit different than in years past, but what we celebrate, independence and freedom, did not change. As forensic scientists, the work that we do may impact a person’s freedom. For that reason, doing the work in the best way possible is important.
 
ASCLD has long supported accreditation and standards development. As forensic science best practices and standards are being published by standards development organizations such as ISO, ASB, and ASTM, they are being added to the OSAC Registry of Standards and crime laboratories are being encouraged to implement them in their quality management systems.
 
ASB, OSAC and Promega Corporation will host a three-part webinar series aimed at providing information on new and emerging standards and best practices in forensic biology and DNA testing. The series will start on July 15 th with “Development and Publication of New Standards and Best Practices – The Process (Part 1), followed by Mixture Interpretation Validation and Protocol Development and Verification (Part 2) on August 5 th and will close with Training Standards Overview (Part 3) on September 9 th .
 
Register here:
 
 
Have a wonderful week!
 
Be well,
Erin
 
Erin P. Forry
ASCLD President

Weekly News and Resources
Community Research, Newsletters, and Surveys
ASCLD Forensic Research Committee
The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee is proud to announce the launch of the Validation and Evaluation Repository. The goal of this activity is share information about important Validations and Evaluations with the forensic science community by compiling a list of unique validations and evaluations conducted by forensic labs and universities. The repository will catalog these efforts and provide the contact information of the people responsible for the work. It is ASCLD’s hope that this listing will foster information sharing, promote communication, and minimize unnecessary or redundant repetition of Validations and Evaluations. For more information about this repository or if you would like to add your Validations or Evaluations to this repository please check out https://www.ascld.org/validation-evaluation-repository/

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 .  
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... 
Funding Opportunities
For the most up to date Funding Opportunities visit: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/current

Standards Corner


Click HERE to review standards available for comment.

OSAC News
June 2020 OSAC Standards Bulletin now available, click HERE
Training
  Webinar Series
New and emerging standards and best practices in forensic biology and DNA testing

July 15, 2020
Part 1: Development and Publication of New Standards and Best Practices – The Process
August 5, 2020
Part 2: Mixture Interpretation Validation and Protocol Development and Verification
September 9, 2020
Part 3: Training Standards Overview

ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Webinar Series (Archived)

Providing training and education to our membership is a core mission for ASCLD. Despite the unfortunate cancellation of our annual symposium this year, the Symposium Planning and Training and Education Committees found a way to bring timely and relevant content that would have been experienced in Denver, to the ASCLD membership.
Through a generous partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence at RTI International, ASCLD presented a three-part webinar series entitled ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness. Providing training and education in employee wellness is part of the current ASCLD Strategic Plan. In an already stressful profession, as we adapt and lead through the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic is particularly timely.

In June 2020, ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness presented the following webinars:

Speakers: Andrew Levin, Jonathan McGrath, Heidi Putney, & Danielle Crimmins

Speaker: Jody Wolf

Speaker: Robert Kirkby
ANAB - Upcoming training events
New! ANAB is offering live instructor lead online courses to meet the need for continued learning in light of widespread travel restrictions and the need for social distancing. Each class is offered via WebEx and includes the opportunity for participants to submit questions, as well as interact with the instructor and other participants.


August 3-6, 2020, Live Online
September 15-18, 2020, Washington, D.C.
November 3-6, 2020, Rancho Cordova, CA
 
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, OCME San Francisco, CA
November 16-19, 2020, Tarrant Cty ME Fort Worth, TX
November 17-20, 2020, Washington, D.C.
 
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, Live Online
 
July 20-21, 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