National security, bombings, domestic violence, among topics of URI’s Spring Forensic Seminar Partnership Series
By Benjamin Smith
All lectures are held on Fridays at 3:30 p.m. in the
Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences. For 25 years, the
seminar has brought local, regional, national and international authorities to
talk about everything from the criminal world of the late Whitey Bulger to Sept
11, 2001. The seminars feature experts on crime, evidence-gathering, crime
prevention and investigations that rely on scientific processes.
The first program was held on Feb. 2: “Seeing the invisible: flow visualization and scientific imaging to improve CBRNE safety, security, defense, and forensics,” fluid dynamics expert Matt Staymates of the National Institute of Standards & Technology. The office promotes innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive capabilities, to improve economic security and improve people’s lives.
During its run, the series has hosted guest speakers such
as Henry Lee, the renowned forensic scientist who worked on the O.J. Simpson
criminal case, and the late URI faculty member, Robert Leuci, who exposed
corruption in the New York City Police Department. Visiting speakers have
discussed many topics in forensic science that deal with everything from death
investigations to fingerprinting DNA analysis to Sherlock Holmes and terrorism.
Dennis Hilliard, director of the Rhode Island State
Crime Laboratory at URI, coordinates the free public lecture series with
Professor of Chemistry Jimmie Oxley, an expert on explosives and energetic
materials.
The rest of this spring’s speakers and topics are:
Feb. 9 — “Death as our mentor: lessons learned from 9/11,” Mark Desire, assistant director of New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, will educate the audience about lessons learned from the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Feb. 16 — “Death investigations #101,” Bill Powers, former member of the Massachusetts State Police, will
discuss several investigations. Powers is also an author who just recently
published When the Smoke Cleared, a murder
mystery set in Malden.
Feb. 23 — “A case study involving the Investigation of an
Improvised Explosive Device in the City of Boston,” Senior Forensic Chemist John Drugan, of the Boston Fire Department,
is the technical leader of the Massachusetts State Crime Lab Trace and
Explosives Unit.
March 1 — “Federal prosecution,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Daly, U.S. Attorney’s Office — District
of Rhode Island, will discuss federal prosecutions.
March 8 — “Bombings: from tactics to trials,” FBI Chief Explosive Scientist Kirk Yeager will discuss bombings.
Yeager was the lead explosive scientist for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing,
the 2010 Times Square bombing in New York, and the 2009 case of the underwear
bomber arrested in Detroit.
March 22 — “An expansive career in national security,” Managing Director Colin O’Hara, a federal government consultant,
will discuss his career path in national security.
March 29 — “Why Customs & Border Patrol needs
scientists,” Bret Reiswig, of U.S. Customs & Border Control.
The office protects the country’s borders, and helps keep the nation’s economy
strong.
April 5 — “Pathway to violence, a public health approach
to prevention,” Regional Prevention Coordinator Robert Mahoney, of the
Department of Homeland Security.
April 12 — “Intimate partner violence: an
overview,” Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Leila Dutton,
University of New Haven. Dutton is an expert in testing different theories that
explain why particular people engage in stalking and unwanted pursuit.
April 19 — “Managing forensic error: lessons from
wrongful convictions,” Senior Director John Morgan, of the Global
Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Morgan is internationally
recognized for his forensics work, body armor, special operations technology,
and predictive policing.
April 26 — “Overview of forensic odontology,” General Dental Practitioner Ira Titunik, of the Midtown Dental
Group, in New York City. Titunik is a lecturer and consultant for various law
and enforcement agencies and organizations in the fields of dentistry and
odontology.
URI’s Forensic Science Seminar Series is offered for
credit for students and it’s also open to the public at no cost. Those who
can’t attend the seminars in-person can access them live
online, or at a later date by searching the particular topic
and clicking the topic link.
To learn more about the URI Forensic Science Seminar
Series and to be added to the series’ email list, contact Dennis Hilliard, M.S.
‘80, Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory, at dhilliard@uri.edu, or call
401-874-5056.