Dear ASCLD Colleagues and Friends,
 
It is Saturday and I am enjoying a cup of coffee and musing over the past week. No traveling for me- my daughter and I are having a girl’s weekend. Last night we watched Beauty and the Beast at our community theatre and, of course, she fell asleep right at the end. I had to just laugh, hold her tight, and give her a kiss- children are only small for a short amount of time.
 
What a week! This past week our Board had our monthly meeting, and I am still having all we discussed bouncing around in my head. We had the opportunity for the CFSO members to sit in on the meeting and listen in to what the BOD views as concerns from the national laboratories we represent (https://thecfso.org/). Whether you are a smaller lab or a large system, we all seem to have similar issues- please do not hesitate to reach out and share. Our organizations want to make things better for the laboratories and professional we serve.
 
One of the quick topics we had was Executive Director Byrd letting us know that the ASCLD 2022 Symposium videos are up on the member portal of the website! Remember to login, go to “Symposium Presentations” in the menu then navigate to “2022 Symposium Presentations”. If you missed part of a presentation when you were in Reno or just need a refresher, these materials are great. I encourage you to check them out -thank you MiMedia, Clark Graves and Executive Director Byrd for assisting in getting these videos posted.
 
Another thing we worked on was completing the ASCLD Anti-Harassment Policy statement. We still need to place it in the manual, but I wanted to take the time to thank Director Maynard for the heavy lift in getting this policy worked on. Stay tuned for this exciting update!
 
As many of you know, some of the Organization of Scientific Area Committee (OSAC’s) Scientific Area Committee’s (SACs) were meeting last week in Orlando, FL. I was also reminded that the 2022 OSAC Registry Implementation Survey is now OPEN! See the following great information from our partners at OSAC:
 
  • OSAC Registry Implementation Survey: The 2022 survey is now open! Please help to spread the word by sharing the announcement below with your organization and colleagues. Additional information, including a link to the survey, can be found on the OSAC Registry Implementation Survey webpage. 
  • Speaker Recognition Subcommittee Technical Guidance Document: There’s still one week left to provide input on this draft document, Issues in Data Processing and Relevant Population SelectionPlease complete this form by June 24 to provide your comments. More information can be found in the May In Brief.
 
 
It may seem like months away, but National Forensic Science Week is fast approaching, and we know that many of your organizations are participating in events to recognize the week each year. Did you know that the CFSO Board has an Ad Hoc NFSW Working Group and that they need ASCLD member representation? The group has been working on the following: press releases, model state legislation, ideas for the week to disseminate to labs, legislative packets for the week for labs and practitioners, and white papers about the week. If you have a passion for NFSW and would like to assist, please reach out to me (nauglejd@doj.state.wi.us).
 
For our state, this past Sunday was the third year in a row where the Juneteenth flag was raised above the State Capitol. As you all may know, federal legislation passed on June 17, 2021, which established Juneteenth National Independence Day as a federal holiday. The day honors June 19, 1865, which is the day when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of emancipation through the Emancipation Proclamation. I hope you all had the opportunity to celebrate.
 
This past Sunday was also Father’s Day. I hope all the ASCLD dads had a great Father’s Day. I personally am lucky to have a great father who taught me to never give up, to be adaptable and to keep striving forward to reach my goals. I am also lucky to have a wonderful husband who is a great dad to my kids. I do not know how he keeps us all organized, but he does it! I hope you all had the opportunity to celebrate the important fathers in your life and let them know how great they are.
 
That is all for now- I am heading out to pick strawberries with my daughter, I hope you all have a great week!
 

Best Regards,
 
Jen
 
Jennifer D. Naugle
ASCLD President