Hope Zagaria is a Research Forensic Social Scientist at RTI International.  She provides support for the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative as a Forensic DNA subject matter expert and serves as a Steering Committee Member for the NIST/NIJ Expert Working Group on Human Factors in DNA Interpretation.  Prior to joining RTI, Mrs. Zagaria spent nearly a decade as a casework DNA analyst in both private and public forensic laboratories.  She has served as an Alternate State CODIS Administrator, interim Technical Leader, and Team Lead responsible for overseeing DNA testing in high profile, cold, and post-conviction cases.  She is a member of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the International Society for Forensic Genetics.