Greetings ASCLD Colleagues and Friends,
Fall is in the air; children are back to school and fall sports are starting up, which means we will be on the road for hockey again (let’s goooo Madison Capitols!). Additionally, the forensic science community is gearing up for the 10th National Forensic Science Week (NFSW) which is September 18th-24th, 2022. As some of you may be aware, the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO) has been working hard to gather resources vis-à-vis a committee of folks from the different organizations that CFSO represents. The goal is to promote the forensic sciences by spreading awareness, creating information/preparation packets, and sharing other ways to celebrate National Forensic Science Week. You can find their page (which is FULL of information) here: https://thecfso.org/national-forensic-science-week/
If your lab has something to share, is utilizing social media or has additional resources, please reach out to Director Sheri Lemons and Director Lisa Burdett (sharon.e.lemons@wvsp.gov and lisa.burdett@kbi.ks.gov) Sheri and Lisa are Co-Chairs of the Communication Committee and are excited to hear from our membership on NFSW!
CFSO is conducting a survey to get some data on the current use of the Overdose to Action Grant (OD2A) funds by ME/Coroner offices or toxicology laboratories. This survey is gauged to help determine the current levels of office support from this grant, but it will only be open for a few days- please take time to fill this out or pass it on to forensic service providers in your jurisdiction.
Last week, we made a call for abstracts and workshops to our membership for the 50th ASCLD Symposium 2023c in Austin. I want to remind you that submissions close September 16th. We need more talks focused on chemistry and criminalistics and we need more workshops. Approved workshops receive a free night stay! Sign up here.
We do not have a lengthy fall season in Wisconsin, but we very much appreciate the crisp air, going apple picking and sweater weather. I noticed the other day that the leaves down the street on a row of trees had started to turn red just on the top. It surprised me only because we are still having some warm 80-degree days! I hope you all are enjoying the waning days of summer and are looking toward a few productive weeks ahead.
Thank you,
Jen
Jennifer D. Naugle
ASCLD President
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ASCLD monthly board meeting
The next Board of Directors meeting date will be on Friday, September 16th at 1pm CST.
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Weekly News and Resources |
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NEW ADDITIONS TO THE CLM THIS WEEK |
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- The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science’s Public Update Meeting is happening on Tuesday, September 13!
- COPS Office Announces Launch of First eLearning Course Developed Through NHTSA Partnership
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COPS Office Announces Launch of First eLearning Course Developed Through NHTSA Partnership
The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced August 31, 2022, the launch of its first eLearning course developed in partnership with the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Over the last two years, the COPS Office has been collaborating with NHTSA to develop a series of resources and trainings aimed at improving traffic safety and reducing injury and death related to impaired driving. The first of those trainings, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Refresher, launched August 31, 2022 on the COPS Training Portal. This course is the culmination of more than 20 months of work between the COPS Office and NHTSA under an inter-agency agreement, the first of its kind between the two offices.
NHTSA’s ARIDE training is a 16-hour, in-person instructor-led course that builds on the skills of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to enhance a law enforcement officer’s ability to detect impaired driving and enforce relevant laws. With the development of the 4-hour ARIDE Refresher eLearning course, peace officers trained in ARIDE can refresh their skills without having to attend an in-person course; instead, they can access the course when their schedule allows, from anywhere with an internet connection. Featuring highly skilled and well-trained subject matter experts from across the country, this course will allow learners to re-engage with the material from the in-person course while testing their knowledge through realistic scenarios and testing before, during, and after the training. For more information on this course and other training opportunities, visit https://copstrainingportal.org/.
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The CLM will be going to a bi-monthly publication. If there is information that is time sensitive and cannot wait for the next CLM, you will be getting an email from Executive Director Byrd. This new bi-monthly publication will go a long way in helping the volunteers get back some of their time on weekends while still providing a quality newsletter for the organization. Direct questions to Communications Committee Co-Chairs, Lisa Burdett and Sheri Lemons.
The CLM publication dates are:
2022
September 12 and 26
October 10 and 24
November 7 and 21
December 5 and 19
2023
January 9 and 23
February 6 and 20
March 6 and 20
April 3 and 17
May 8 and 22
June 5 and 19
July 10 and 24
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Registration is now open for the Fall 2022 Leadership Academy
The ASCLD Leadership Academy to be held in Fall 2022. Twelve weekly, online webinars will be offered from August to December and will cover a wide range of essential leadership topics for forensic science supervisors and managers. The Fall Academy will finish with two intensive days of on-site, hands-on instruction in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 2022 Fall Academy will again focus on providing quality instruction to new supervisors in the forensic science field and supervisors who have previously had limited opportunities for structured forensic management education and training. Between affordable registration costs and high-quality instructors, ASCLD is confident that laboratories will see a valuable return on investment in a time when training budgets are lean across the US.
Click HERE for link to registration
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National Forensic Science Week is September 18-24, 2022
We are happy to provide information for the 10th anniversary of National Forensic Science Week (NFSW), September 18th to the 24th, click HERE for more information
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The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science’s Public Update Meeting is happening on Tuesday, September 13! Join us and hear how we’re making an impact on the forensic science community through standards.
This virtual event will feature presentations from the seven chairs of OSAC's Scientific Area Committees (SACs) and chair of the Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB). Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
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The Research Forensic Library is officially launched and provides access to thousands of articles and reports in the scientific literature, a critical step in the forward momentum required of forensic science and its varied applications.
The Library is part of a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). You can find the full release on our website to republish and share:
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with information on Lightning Talks, the FRC Collaboration Hub, the
Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP), new LEAP Research
Partners, recent submissions to the Evaluation and Validation Repository,
and FRC Award Winners!
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ASCLD FRC Validation and Evaluation Repository – Confirmation and Quantitation of Antiepileptic and Acidic Drugs by LC/MS/MS
The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee (FRC) is proud to announce a new submission to the Validation and Evaluation Repository. As you may already know, the purpose of this FRC initiative is to create a central repository of forensic validations and evaluations. ASCLD hopes that this repository will foster information sharing and promote collaboration with the forensic science community.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office / Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory recently submitted a summary validation report highlighting their internal validation for a new protein crash extraction and LC/MS/MS method for confirming and quantitating 14 antiepileptic/acidic drugs in blood, serum, urine and tissue homogenate. The method was validated using 7 blood calibrators and low, medium, and high controls in blood, serum, urine and tissue homogenate. The validation parameters are all included in the validation summary submitted.
Please consider submitting information about your lab’s validations or evaluations to the repository. Information could include basic information such as validation/evaluation title, lab name, and point of contact information (which enables other forensic scientists to contact you with questions) or additional information such as a short validation or evaluation summary or even a full validation or evaluation report. By sharing this information, you are supporting other laboratories that wish to expand their forensic capabilities!
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The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee (FRC) is pleased to announce a new submission within the Collaboration Hub.
As you may know, the purpose of the Collaboration Hub is to create a directory to connect researchers with ongoing projects to practitioners who are willing to participate in the studies or support the research. It is ASCLD’s hope that this program will further communication and cooperation between forensic researchers and practitioners.
Recently, a new project was added to the Collaboration Hub that aims to explore factors that may play a role in the decision-making of triaging items collected from crime scenes. The Principal Investigator for this study is Dr. Ifat Levy from Yale University with collaborators from the University of College London. The researchers are seeking volunteers to participate in an online study where participants will be asked to evaluate a forensic casework brief and photographs of items collected from a crime scene. Under a hypothetical scenario in which the participant is the expert assigned to this case, the participant will make a series of decisions about the case. The study will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete.
If you are interested in supporting this project and contributing to forensic science research, please check out the ASCLD FRC Collaboration Hub.
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The Project FORESIGHT benchmark report for FY2021 is now available HERE
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Are you a Forensic Scientist, or otherwise involved in the detection, collection, or analysis of forensic evidence? Are you curious to know if the stressors of the job, including exposure to potentially traumatic material and/or burnout from constant backlogs, resource constraints, and shift work are negatively affecting the ability to effectively perform your work duties? If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then consider participating in this IRB approved comprehensive research study that aims to inform the criminal justice stakeholder community of the potential impact of vicarious trauma and/or burnout across all forensic science disciplines on work ability. The direction of this survey has been shaped by the ASCLD Stress and Trauma Working Group and the results of this dissertation research study will be used add to the growing body of literature surrounding this important topic!”
To participate in this research study, please click here.
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Videos from the Annual Symposium in Reno are now available in the on the ASCLD website |
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Please send all CLM submissions to our new electronic form!
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Please continue to tag your photos on social media with the hashtag #ASCLDfun |
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Opt Out.
ASCLD sells your email information to vendors for marketing and promotional material purposes. You may ‘opt-out’ of receiving vendor information not directly related to ASCLD by emailing executivedirector@ascld.org. If you do not opt out then your acceptance of this Agreement will constitute your affirmative consent to receiving marketing and promotional material from ASCLD.
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Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
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There are many standards open for comment on the ASB website. Be sure to check them out and provide your valuable input!
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Safety Topics for your Lab |
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Health and Safety in the Laboratory series by Jane Northup PhD, RI State Crime Laboratory
Click on links below for articles
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ANAB Trainings
With the ability to reach wider audiences, we are expanding offerings of current courses in Spanish.
The following courses will be available live online in Spanish:
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Forensic Technical Assessor
- Forensic ISO/IEC 17025 Internal Auditor
- Risk-based Thinking for Forensic Service Providers
We are also excited to introduce our courses:
Uncertainty, Sampling and Data Analysis: Understanding Statistical Calculations. This course provides an introduction to statistical concepts and techniques used for the collection, organization, analysis, and presentation of various types of data. The course touches on both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including how to compute measures of central tendency and dispersion, and how to assess the relationship between two variables. More..
Verification and Validation for Laboratories and Inspection Bodies. This course provides an introduction to the validation and verification of analytical methods and the common elements of a validation or verification plan. In addition, a general approach to performing a validation or verification will be reviewed along with ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for validation and verification of methods. More…
Webinars:
We continue our monthly Webinars and stay tuned for information about upcoming Feature Sessions.
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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.
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The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
65 Glen Road, Suite 123
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.773.2044
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