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The 1st Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting took place on October 2-3, 2023. This archive contains the event information, recordings of presentations, PDFs of presenter slide decks and accompanying resources. While most sessions were recorded for archival, please note that some sessions were not recorded and do not have an archive available due to presenter requests or the inclusion of sensitive content within the presentations. To view the archived event, please navigate to the 1st Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting virtual event platform and log in using the same email address and password used to attend the live event. If you did not attend the live event and this is your first time logging in, you may need to create an account or reset your password. If you need to create an account, please contact ForensicsTTA@rti.org for instructions.
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Forensics Training and Technical Assistance (Forensics TTA) Team, led by RTI International, is hosting the 1st Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting, scheduled for October 2-3, 2023!
This year’s meeting will be virtual and will feature sessions on Forensic Genetic Genealogy, Rapid DNA, grantee innovations, improving the impact of federal funding, performance measure tracking, grant management best practices, and much more.
Program-specific breakout discussions will also be featured to provide grantees with a unique opportunity to learn more from respective BJA staff and other grantees.
Recipients of FY2022 funding for CEBR, ME/C, COLD, and Postconviction are required to attend per the BJA solicitation. All other grantees are strongly encouraged to participate. Please note, this conference is optional for all Coverdell grantees.
All awardees may register up to three representatives for the meeting. These representatives should be key site team personnel to include the individual responsible for overseeing the grant management of the award. We encourage grantees to review the list of topics and determine which additional team members should attend.
This training will be archived for on-demand viewing for those who are unable to attend this live event.
All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
11:00 – 11:20
Opening Remarks
Presenters:
Ashley Rodriguez, Conference Emcee, RTI International
Thurston Bryant, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Dr. Angela Williamson, BJA
Karhlton Moore, Director, BJA
11:20 – 12:35
Keynote Session
Presenters:
Debbie Smith
Rob Smith
12:35 – 12:45
Break
12:45 – 1:45
Grantee Innovations
Presenters:
Amy Castillo, Houston Forensic Science Center (CEBR)
Alfie McGinty, Marion County Coroner’s Office (ME/C)
Mark Pooley, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (MUHR)
Chris Lindberg, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office (COLD)
Valerie Newman, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office (Postconviction)
1:45 – 2:00
Forensics Training and Technical Assistance
Presenter:
Pattie Melton, RTI International
2:00 – 2:10
Break
2:10 – 3:10
Workshop Sessions
| Track A | Track B | Track C |
|---|---|---|
| Leveraging Grant Funds for Sexually Motivated Crimes Presenters: Carey Hendricks, BJA Mary Weston, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office Dawn Weber, Denver District Attorney’s Office Facilitator: Misty Marra, RTI | Limitations and Applications of Rapid DNA Presenter: Doug Hares, FBI Facilitator: Jason Chute, RTI | Financial Grants Management Training Presenter: Angela Wade, OJP Office of the Chief Financial Officer Facilitator: Nikia Johnson, RTI |
3:10 – 3:20
Break
3:20 – 4:50
Program Specific Workshop Session
| Track A - CEBR | Track B - CEBR | Track C - MUHR | Track D – ME/C, COLD, and Postconviction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demystifying Performance Measures Presenters: Michael Adams, BJA Nichole Norvesh, BJA Andrea Borchardt, BJA Facilitator: Jason Chute, RTI | Improving the Impact of Federal Funding Presenters: Jennifer Harmon, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Lab Julie Sikorsky, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Amy Lightfoot, Utah Department of Public Safety Facilitator: Misty Marra, RTI | Missing and Unidentified Resources: NamUs and NCMEC Presenters: Heather McKiernan, NamUs Amanda Bixler, NCMEC Facilitator: Dustin Driscoll, RTI | Model Practices for Grant Management Presenters: Caroline Shriver, BJA Kathryn Manning, BJA Tahitia Barringer, BJA Facilitator: Emily Strelka, RTI |
4:50 – 5:00
End-of-Day Wrap-Up Within Workshop Sessions
11:00 – 11:01
Welcome for Day 2
11:01 – 12:00
Keynote Session
Presenter:
Kirk Bloodsworth
12:00 – 12:15
Break
12:15 – 12:30
Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) Resources
Presenter:
Nelson Santos, RTI International
12:30 – 1:05
Investigative Genetic Genealogy
Presenters:
Amy Whitman, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Mark James, FBI
1:05 – 1:15
Break
1:15 – 2:15
Workshop Sessions
| Track A | Track B | Track C |
|---|---|---|
| DNA Updates & Considerations for Challenging Evidence Presenter: Angela Williamson, BJA Facilitator: Ashley Rodriguez, RTI | Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) Presenter: Elizabeth Hensley, FBI Facilitators: Lindsey Wade, RTI Madison Boden, RTI | Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) – Overviews of Next Generation Identification (NGI) and Deceased Persons Identification (DPI) Presenters: Julia Lucas, FBI Michael Lohmann, FBI Facilitator: Dustin Driscoll, RTI |
2:15 – 2:25
Break
2:25 – 3:55
Program Specific Workshop Session
| Track A - ME/C | Track B - COLD | Track C - Postconviction | Track D – CEBR and MUHR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategies for Recruiting and Retention of Individuals for Your Fellowship Program Presenters: Dr. James Gill, Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Rebecca MacDougall, Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services Nathan Geerdes, King County Medical Examiner’s Office Dr. Amanda Maskovyak, King County Medical Examiner’s Office Facilitator: Erica Christensen, RTI | The Prosecution of Forensic Genetic Genealogy Cases Presenters: TeriAnn Grimes, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Chris Ore, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Chris Lindberg, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Robert Dean, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office Facilitator: Lindsey Wade, RTI | Overcoming Barriers Presenters: Kristina Hoffman, Washington State Patrol Lisa Kavanaugh, Committee for Public Counsel Services Catherine Matoian, North Carolina Innocence Commission Emily Maw, Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office Facilitators: Jason Chute, RTI Adina Thompson, Quattrone Center | Model Practices for Grant Management Presenters: Caroline Shriver, BJA Kathryn Manning, BJA Tahitia Barringer, BJA Facilitator: Emily Strelka, RTI |
3:55 – 4:05
Break
4:05 – 4:50
Leveraging Multiple Funding Streams for Success – The Joe Michael Ervin Case
Presenters:
Detective Kari Johnson, Denver (Colorado) Police Department
Captain Jason Bobo, Texas Rangers
4:50 – 5:00
Closing
Presenter:
Dr. Angela Williamson, BJA
Please reach out to the Forensics TTA Team (ForensicsTTA@rti.org) with any questions or concerns.
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