Speakers

Jack Ballantyne is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Director of the National Center for Forensic Science in Orlando, Florida. Prior to entering academia, he was a casework forensic scientist in Scotland, Hong Kong and New York. His current research projects include RNA profiling for body fluid and tissue identification, trace DNA analysis including single-cell genomics and mixture deconvolution and genomics applications in forensic genetics.

Cairenn Binder is the Assistant Director of the IGG Center and the Director of the IGG Certificate Program. Cairenn has been at the forefront of IGG since its inception, applying genetic genealogy to identify human remains with the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project from 2018 through 2023.

Deborah Brashers is the daughter of Robert Eugene Brashers, an American serial killer responsible for the murders of at least eight women and girls between 1990 and 1998. Deborah first learned about her father’s crimes in 2018, and the news immediately changed the course of her life. She began speaking publicly about her memories of her father while also offering help to law enforcement. This experience has given her a deep passion for pursuing a degree in criminal justice, driven by a desire to better understand the system, support investigations, and contribute to meaningful change.

Jo-Anne Bright is a Senior Science Leader within the Forensic Biology group at PHF Science, where she has worked since 1999. Jo is one of the co developers of STRmix™, expert software for the interpretation of forensic DNA profiles and the new Australasian standard.

John M. Butler is an internationally recognized expert in forensic DNA analysis and holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Virginia. He has written five textbooks on Forensic DNA Typing (2001, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2015) and given hundreds of invited talks to scientists, lawyers, and members of the public throughout the United States and in 30 other countries so far.

Dr. Janet Cady is a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at Parabon NanoLabs. She received her PhD in Human and Statistical Genetics from Washington University in St. Louis. Since joining Parabon in 2016, she has performed advanced DNA analysis on hundreds of forensic cases. She specializes in method development and analysis of sequencing data.

Michael Coble, PhD, is a Professor and the Executive Director of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Fort Worth. Dr. Coble received his PhD in Genetics from The George Washington University. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in forensic DNA analysis and interpretation and is recognized among the top 2% of highly cited researchers worldwide.

John Collins is a High-Stakes Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach at Critical Victories, a company he founded to help people, teams, and organizations thrive in high-pressure environments where perfection is an expectation and failure is a ticket out the door.  He is also among the most respected forensic experts in the United States, recently publishing his first book on leadership and management in forensic science, which was released by Academic Press just last month. 

A microbiologist with more than 25 years of experience in criminalistics and forensic genetics, she has developed a solid professional career supporting the scientific, technical, and managerial components of human identification in judicial and human rights contexts, through her work with the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) of the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia. She is a specialist in forensic investigations of human rights violations and has received continuous national and international training in forensic statistics, molecular biology, and method validation.

Kelly Elkins, PhD, is Professor of Chemistry and co-Director of the TU Human Remains Identification Laboratory at Towson University and a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Chemical Society.

Catherine Grgicak (Gerg-i-chuck) is an Associate Professor and Henry Rutgers Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Rutgers University in Camden NJ, and serves as Program Director for the Forensic Science programs at the same institution. She received her M.S.F.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa. Her Laboratory for Forensic Technology and Integration (LFTDI) develops systems that improve forensically relevant data generating and interpretive systems.

Ms. Grossweiler is the National DNA Index System Program Manager in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's CODIS Unit. Lisa has over 33 years of experience in the forensic DNA field, serving in the private and public sectors. She joined the Federal DNA Database Unit of the FBI Laboratory in 2010 as a DNA Examiner and in 2019 transferred to the CODIS Unit where she accepted her current role as NDIS Custodian.

Dr. David Gurney, JD/PhD is an assistant professor of Law & Society and Director of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College. He is president of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Accreditation Board and a board member of the Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Dr. Hares is the Rapid DNA Implementation Program Advisor for the FBI’s Biometric Analysis Section.  He joined the DNA Analysis Unit II of the FBI Laboratory in 2000 as a Forensic Examiner.  In 2006, Dr. Hares transferred to the CODIS Unit where he served as the NDIS Custodian for over 13 years. 

Shannon Hodder serves as a Senior Assistant District Attorney with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office in Decatur, Georgia, where she leads the Cold Case Task Force and prosecutes complex homicide cases, including those that have remained unresolved for decades. She has tried more than thirty murder cases to conviction—several of them cold cases, including a serial rapist and killer whose crimes spanned five states, a 20-year unidentified child homicide, a no-body murder, and a rape and double murder from 1990 involving Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG).

Brian Hoey is the Director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory System. Brian has been with the MSHP Crime Lab for 29 years. Brian began his career as a DNA analyst and served as the Laboratory’s TL for 8 years. His current leadership focus is to coach the transition from bench Criminalist to supervision and management.

In March of 2017, Ms. Horan joined the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as a DNA Specialist in the Forensic Science & Cold Case Unit. She became the first forensic scientist to be hired on staff at a prosecutor’s office in New York State. Ms. Horan is responsible for providing training in serology and DNA testing for staff attorneys and local law enforcement. She also assists in grand jury and trial preparation for all DNA prosecutions and works with the NYPD Cold Case Squad in their homicide investigations.

Special Agent (SA) Mark James has 20 years of law enforcement experience as an FBI SA assigned to the Baltimore Field Office investigating gangs, narcotics, and violent crimes. Since March 2020, SA James has been the East Region Team Leader of the FBI Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Team, which is responsible for conducting IGG on violent crime and unidentified human remains cases on the East Coast of the United States. The East Region FBI IGG Team has been responsible for the successful resolution of numerous violent crimes—including rapes and murders—and the identification of unknown homicide victims.

In her current role, Jessica focuses on bridging innovative forensic DNA technology with law enforcement adoption, particularly in the application of forensic investigative genetic genealogy. She is deeply passionate about advancing awareness of how cutting-edge DNA technologies are helping to solve cases worldwide. In addition to her professional work, Jessica serves on the Board of Directors of the International Homicide Investigators Association as Director of Corporate Counsel.

In 2006, Shena was hired as a Criminalist in the DNA Casework Section at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory located in Jefferson City, MO. Shena continued her role as a DNA Criminalist until 2021, when she was promoted to a Forensic Scientist Supervisor in DNA Casework, where she is still employed today. Throughout Shena’s career as a forensic scientist in DNA, she has acted as a CODIS administrator, a STACS administrator, led multiple validations studies, acted as a DNA trainer for new analysts, provided DNA-specific training for countless law enforcement agencies, lawyers, and SANE nurses, and has testified over 100 times in at least 30 Missouri counties.

Eugene is actively involved in the community and is a member of many forensic working groups.  Throughout his career, he seems to be directly involved with standards and guidelines – both following them and helping to write them.  He has been a participant of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) for more than 17 years and a participant of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science since its inception. 

Meng-Han Lin is a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and has been employed in the STRmix™ team since 2016. A molecular biologist by background, his role is primarily responsible for the development, validation, and support of FaSTR™ DNA analysis software.

Steve Lund received his PhD in statistics from Iowa State University. He joined NIST as a mathematical statistician in 2012 and currently leads the Evidential Statistics Focus Area. He is a former member of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), currently supports three of the NIST Forensic Science Foundations Review teams, and is the developer of the NIST Validation Assessment Tool (VAST).

Mike Marciano is a Professor of Practice and the Director for Research in the College of Arts and Sciences Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute at Syracuse University. His research focuses on the analysis and interpretation of low quality/quantity human and non-human DNA samples using both wet bench techniques and statistical/machine learning methods with emphasis on single cell DNA analyses.

Dr. Marshall has extensive graduate and undergraduate teaching experience in the forensic disciplines of serology, DNA, and microscopy. Her research interests include low copy number DNA, human and wildlife DNA identification challenges, nanoparticle technology, pressure cycling technology, and PCR enhancement.

Catherine McGovern is a Science Leader at The New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Limited (PHF Science), with over 30 years’ experience in the forensic biology discipline. Her current role is as Team Leader of customer training and support services within the STRmix team.

CeCe Moore is an internationally recognized DNA and true crime expert and an Emmy-nominated creator whose frequent media appearances have led to her being called “the face of genetic genealogy.”

Through collaboration with hundreds of investigative agencies across North America, she has led the Parabon Genetic Genealogy Team to the unparalleled record of over 375 successful identifications of violent criminal suspects and unidentified decedents since 2018. CeCe’s cutting-edge work with law enforcement has led to the first conviction, the first conviction through jury verdict, the first conviction in an active violent case investigation, and the first exoneration in cases where the suspect was identified through IGG.

Dr. Nicole Novroski is an Associate Professor with tenure in the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences and the Associate Director for the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Dr. Novroski specializes in using massively parallel sequencing coupled with novel approaches and methodologies for forensic human identity testing. Her current focus is the exploration of previously uncharacterized genetic markers for improved DNA mixture deconvolution and in the optimization of genetic workflows for investigative genetic genealogy.

Craig O’Connor, PhD. is the Director of the Department of Forensic Biology at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the largest public forensic DNA laboratory in the United States. He oversees the daily operations and staff of about 200 analysts, technicians, and support personnel.

Rachel Oefelein is currently the Chief Scientific Officer at DNA Labs International (DLI) and Laboratory Director. Since joining DNA Labs International in 2014, Rachel was instrumental in implementing STRmix™ for five profiling systems, rootless hair shaft testing, and Next Generation Sequencing in three profiling systems. She also innovated and implemented DLI’s successful SpentShell™ technology for fired cartridge casings.

Erica Romsos is a Research Biologist with the Applied Genetics Group at NIST focusing on rapid DNA testing, digital PCR analysis, and standards development. Her work in Standard Reference Material characterization has assisted the creation of many SRMs produced by NIST and the creation of a Research Grade Testing Material (RGTM 10235) for the forensic DNA community. Additionally, Erica is the Leader of the Forensic Science Quality Assurance Program, supporting method testing, validation, and technology performance across different forensic science disciplines.

Over the past two decades, Dan has developed a deep passion for using Microsoft Excel to enhance laboratory operations, analysis workflows, decision-making, sample processing, and research. He has designed multiple Excel-based systems that have improved his lab’s efficiency and data reporting capabilities.

Julie Conover Sikorsky is the Forensic Biology Manager at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. She joined PBSO in 2002 as a Senior Forensic Scientist and became Forensic Biology Manager in 2012. Julie holds a B.S. in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego and M.S. degrees in Forensic Science and Biomedical Science from Marshall University. ABC-certified in Molecular Biology and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, she serves on multiple forensic science committees and frequently presents at industry conferences. Dedicated to advancing forensic science, Julie focuses on innovation, process improvement, and mentorship.

Stephanie Stoiloff is currently the Director of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Forensic and Technology Division, overseeing the Information Technology Office, the Crime Scene and Evidence Bureau, and a full-service, accredited Crime Laboratory that provides forensic services for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, all municipal agencies in Miami-Dade County, and state and federal agencies, upon request.

Dr. Henry Swofford is the Lead Scientist with the Forensic Science Research Program in the Special Programs Office at NIST. Over his career, Swofford has authored several articles and given approximately 150 professional presentations throughout the United States and International community related to forensic science methods and practices. He has testified in federal, state, and military courts as an expert and served on numerous committees and boards related to forensic science.

Melissa Taylor is a Senior Forensic Science Research Manager within the Special Programs Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her work focuses primarily on integrating human-factors principles into forensic sciences, process mapping, understanding expert decision-making, and developing requirements for adopting trustworthy and responsible AI systems.

Elyssa has worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for over 14 years. She has found a love for cold cases and a knack for bending the SOP to her will. (All with TL and supervisor approval)

Dr. Cristina Valencia is the Lab Director at Astrea Forensics, where she leads the development and application of ancient DNA methods, next‑generation sequencing, and analytical workflows for forensic investigations. Since joining Astrea in 2020, she has contributed to more than one hundred cases, specializing in the recovery and analysis of rootless hairs and other highly degraded DNA samples for law enforcement agencies.

Samantha Wandzek is the Technical Leader of Signature Science’s Forensic DNA Laboratory in Austin, Texas. Ms. Wandzek oversees all technical aspects of the laboratory including validation and implementation of all forensic methods. In addition, she continues to function as a Forensic DNA Analyst by reporting and performing technical review of DNA analyses and case files.

Dr. Ray Wickenheiser, is the retired Director of the New York State Police Crime Laboratory System, formerly headquartered in Albany, New York.  Ray is now located in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he provides forensic consulting and training. His areas of expertise include crime lab administration, quality management, conflict resolution, forensic DNA and mixture interpretation, serology, hair and fiber trace evidence, physical matching and comparison, glass fracture analysis, forensic grain comparison and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. 

Richard Wivell is a Senior Scientist within the STRmixTM  team at PHF Science, New Zealand where he has worked since 2008.  Before moving to New Zealand, Richard was a Forensic Scientist for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Forensic Science Service in the UK.

August Woerner is an Associate Professor in the department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. By training he is a computer scientist and a geneticist, and he has been an active researcher in the fields of computational biology, bioinformatics and population genomics for almost twenty years. August has served on several genome consortia, developed numerous software packages, and his works have been cited over 4500 times. Much of August’s current research focuses on whole genome sequencing, particular, its application to forensic genetic genealogy.

Kameran Wong is Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development at DNA Labs International, a privately owned forensic DNA laboratory. With over a decade of experience in the forensic DNA and genomics space, she has led and supported initiatives spanning next-generation sequencing, laboratory implementation, and community engagement, working closely with forensic laboratories, scientists, and institutional stakeholders.

Helena Wong completed her Master’s of Science degree in Forensic Science at UC Davis. She is a Criminalist II at the Oakland Police Department Crime Laboratory in the Forensic Biology Unit, with over 14 years of casework experience.