NIST Scientists to Present Forensic Science Research at AAFS

What's new in forensic science research? NIST scientists will be presenting recent research results – from fingerprint examination to biological evidence handling – at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting in Seattle from Feb. 17 to 22. Below is a chronological list of talks by NIST scientists.

American Academy of Forensic Science Annual Meeting
February 17-24, 2014, Seattle, Wash.

Presentations by NIST scientists (NIST staff in bold)

Tuesday, Feb. 18

5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Washington State Convention Center 6C and webcast
National Institute of Standards and Technology Guidance Groups: Input Received and Proposed Plan Development
Mark Stolorow, Rich Cavanagh, Susan Ballou, Barbara Guttman, John Butler, John Paul Jones

Wednesday, Feb. 19

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Plenary Session
Reinforcing, Challenging, and Transforming Our Forensic Science Thinking: Progress and Constraints Five Years After the NAS Report/Introductions of the Vice-Chairs of the National Commission on Forensic Science
Susan Ballou and John Butler/NIST Office of Special Programs

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Poster Session
A5: Evaluation of the Degradation of Lotion Components Due to Age and Exposure
Jeffrey Dake and Edward Sisco/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

A27: Quantifying Degradation of Explosives in a Saline Environment
Edward Sisco/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

A47: Examination of Nonoxynol-9, Including an Investigation of Interfering Compounds
Jeffrey Dake, Edward Sisco/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

A62: Cross-Laboratory Comparison of Next Generation Sequencing Instrumentation and Bioinformatics Software Tools for Forensic Mitochondrial DNA Analysis
Brittania Bintz, Eric Burnside, Peter Vallone/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory, Mark Wilson

A70: Using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to Better Understand Fingerprint Aging Through Imaging and Depth Profiling
Edward Sisco, Shin Muramoto, Greg Gillen/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

4:15 to 5:30 p.m.
Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony
Mark Stolorow, Director of the NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, will receive the Mary E. Cowan Award.

Thursday, Feb. 20

8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Criminalistics Moderated Session: Evidence Preservation and Body Fluid Analysis

8:30 to 8:45 a.m.
A30: Biological Evidence Preservation: Guidance for Evidence Handlers
Shannan Williams/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, Stephanie Stoiloff

8:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Jurisprudence Moderated Session: Pattern Evidence and Explaining Information to the Jury

9:05 a.m. - 9:35 a.m.
E4: Helping Juries and Officers of the Courts Make Sense of Statistics in Forensic Science: Update From the Working Group on Presenting Forensic Science Evidence Using Quantitative and Qualitative Terms
Melissa Taylor/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, Anjali Ranadive

8:30 a.m. to noon
Questioned Documents Moderated Session

9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
J5: The Future State of Handwriting Examinations: A Roadmap to Integrate the Latest Measurement Science and Statistics
John P. Jones II/ NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

9:30 a.m. - 9:55 a.m.
J6: Handwriting Examination and Human Factors: Update of the Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Handwriting Analysis
Melissa Taylor/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

8:30 to 10:15 a.m.
General Moderated Session

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
D16: The National Ballistic Imaging Comparison Projects
James Yen/NIST Information Technology Laboratory, Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, Theodore Vorburger, Xiaoyu Zheng, Thomas Renegar, Jun-Feng Song, Johannes Soons, Wei Chu/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, Martin Ols

9:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Digital and Multimedia Sciences Moderated Session: Computer Forensics

10:45 to 11:10 a.m.
B10: Mobile Device Tool Testing
James Lyle, Richard Ayers/NIST Information Technology Laboratory, Samuel Brothers

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Poster Session

A62: Cross-Laboratory Comparison of Next Generation Sequencing Instrumentation and Bioinformatics Software Tools for Forensic Mitochondrial DNA Analysis
Peter Vallone/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory, Brittania Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark Wilson

12:45 to 1:55 p.m.
Digital and Multimedia Sciences Moderated Session: General Digital and Multimedia Forensics I

12:45 to 1:05 p.m.
B13: A Strategy for Testing Graphic File Carving Tools
James Lyle, Richard Ayers/NIST Information Technology Laboratory

1:05 to 1:20 p.m.
B14: Tracking the Effects of Software on Systems: A Forensic Metadata Collection
John Tebbutt, Mary Laamanen, Alex Nelson/NIST Information Technology Laboratory

1:20 to 1:35 p.m.
B15: The National Software Reference Library: Applications in Digital Forensics
Douglas White/NIST Information Technology Laboratory

1:35 to 1:55 p.m.
B16 Indexing the Windows Registry for Software Detection
Alex Nelson, Mary Laamanen, John Tebbutt/NIST Information Technology Laboratory, Darrell Long

1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Criminalistics Moderated Session: More Challenging Samples

1:30 to 1:50 p.m.
A74: NIST Inter-Laboratory Studies for DNA Mixture Interpretation
Michael Coble/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Criminalistics Moderated Session: More Trace Evidence

1:00 to 1:15 p.m.
A97: A Method for the Analysis of Lotion Using Direct Analysis in Real-Time Mass Spectrometry
Derek Dorrien and Edward Sisco/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

Friday, Feb. 21

Criminalistics Moderated Session: Firearms and Toolmarks, 8:30 to 10:20 a.m.

8:45 to 9:00 a.m.
A165: Automatic Identification of Bullet Signatures Based on Consecutive Matching Striae Criteria
Wei Chu, Jun-Feng Song, Theodore Vorburger/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

9:15 to 9:30 a.m.
A167: Tests using the Congruent Tests Using the Congruent Matching Cell Method for Optical Image Correlations of Cartridge Cases Fired From Consecutively Manufactured Pistol Slides
Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, Jun-Feng Song, Johannes Soons, Wei Chu, Mingsi Tong/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory

9:35 to 9:50 a.m.
A168: Reference Bullets and Cartridge Cases for Automated Ballistics Inspection Systems
Theodore Vorburger, Wei Chu, Xiaoyu Zheng, Thomas Renegar, James Yen, Jun-Feng Song, Johannes Soons/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office, Martin Ols

9:50 to 10:20 a.m.

A169: 2D/3D Topography Comparisons of Tool Marks Generated by Ten Consecutively Manufactured Chisels and Drift Punches
Xiaoyu Zheng, Johannes Soons/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

8:30 to 10:05 a.m.
Jurisprudence Moderated Session: Dealing with DNA

9:05 to 9:25 a.m.
E26: DNA Mixture Interpretation: History, Challenges, Statistical Approaches, and Solutions
John Butler, Michael Coble/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory, Charlotte Word

10:40 a.m. to noon
Criminalistics Moderated Session: Replicas and Gunshot Residue

10:40 to 11:00 a.m.
A170: An Improved Vacuum Casting Method for the Replication of Reference Bullets
Thomas Renegar, Xiaoyu Zheng, Theodore Vorburger, Jun-Feng Song, Johannes Soons, James Yen/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, Robert Thompson/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Poster Session

A151: Rapid Determination of Adulterants in Aqueous Mixtures by DART-MS
Edward Sisco/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory, Jeffrey Dake, Candice Bridge

1:00 to 2:40 p.m.
Criminalistics Moderated Session

2:00 to 2:20 p.m.
A156: Characterization of DNA-Based Certified Reference Materials with New and Emerging Technologies
Peter Vallone, Erica Butts/NIST Material Measurement Laboratory

2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
General Moderated Session

3:15 to 3:30 p.m.
D90: Automated Identification Technologies: Improving the Management of Forensic Evidence
Shannan Williams/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Engineering Sciences Moderated Session: Nuts and Bolts

4:00 to 4:15 p.m.
C45: Output Characterization of Handheld Lasers Used in Criminal Aircraft Illumination
Joshua Hadler/NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, George Johnson, Patrick Murphy

Saturday, Feb. 22

8:30 to 10:10 a.m.
Criminalistics Moderated Session: Current Issues in Forensic Science

8:30 to 8:50 a.m.
A190: Overview of NIST Activities in the Forensic Sciences
Mark Stolorow/NIST Law Enforcement Standards Office

8:50 to 9:15 a.m.
A191: Strategic Research Directions in Forensic Science at the NIST Information Technology Laboratory
Martin Herman/NIST Information Technology Laboratory