JUNE DINNER MEETING OF THE
CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
JOINT WITH THE WASHINGTON CHROMATOGRAPHY DISCUSSION GROUP
WASHINGTON SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
Thursday, June 24, 2004
ACS Building
Marvel Hall
1155 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
6:00 p.m. SOCIAL HOUR & DINNER
Finger Food Buffet
Soft Drinks, Coffee, Tea
7:30 p.m. SPEAKER ROUNDTABLE
Challenges in Forensic Chemistry
Moderator: Dr. Bruce Benner, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Given the increasing demands of law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security on forensic analysis, an overview of current capabilities and challenges by researchers active in the field would provide valuable background to the chemistry community. Toward this end, a joint meeting of the Chemical Society of Washington and the Washington Chromatography Discussion Group will present a speaker roundtable representing experts in several areas of forensic analysis including the analysis of seized drugs, trace crime scene evidence, and the measurement of intact explosives and their post-blast residues. The speakers will describe what is currently possible in their area of forensic analysis as well as the associated challenges, including admitting and personally defending their work in court. Finally, the experts will discuss current needs in forensic analysis and future developments that could increase the impact of forensics on local and national security
Speakers:
Dr. Ira Lurie, Drug Enforcement Agency
Dr. Peter Dreifuss, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Dr. John Goodpaster, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Dr. Thomas Parsons, Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory
$20.00 Members and Guests
$15.00 Retired Members
$10.00 Students
Make reservations by noon, Monday, June 21, 2004. Please leave a message with your name, telephone number, the names of everyone in your party, on the CSW Office phone line at (202) 659 - 2650, or a message by e-mail to e-mail to: CSW@ACS.ORG
Speaker Biographies
Thomas J. Parsons has worked at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) since 1994, and currently holds the position of AFDIL Chief Scientist. Additionally he is an adjunct faculty member in both the Departments of Genetics and Forensic Sciences at the George Washington University. One of Parsons’ primary current roles is to direct the AFDIL Research Section. Particular areas of emphasis include: 1) development of high throughput robotic systems for mtDNA sequencing; 2) mitochondrial DNA genomics for increased forensic discrimination; 3) statistical interpretation of forensic data; 4) mitochondrial DNA mutation rate and evolution; 5) improved techniques for recovery of DNA from highly degraded sources; and 6) forensic bioinformatics. His work that has received particular attention relates to an unexpectedly high mutation rate in human mitochondrial DNA, and the identification of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Parsons was a finalist for the 2001 Berry Prize in Federal Medicine. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Commision on Missing Persons, as well as an expert advisory panel (KADAP) for data interpretation issues for the World Trade Center DNA identification efforts.
Bruce Benner, Jr. received his B.S. from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park. He is a Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with interests in trace environmental and forensic measurements by GC/MS.
Peter Dreifuss received his B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park and his Ph.D. from the George Washington University. He has worked for W.R. Grace & Co. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is now a Senior Forensic Chemist at the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives where he specializes in LC/MS/MS, GC/MS, and Negative Ion Chemical Ionization.
Ira Lurie received his BA and MS degrees in chemistry from Queens College and Rutgers University respectively. He has been employed as a chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration for approximately 30 years, and presently serves as a senior research chemist at the Special Testing and Research Laboratory in Dulles, Virginia. His research interests include the application of liquid phase separations to the analysis of seized drugs.
John Goodpaster received a B.A. in chemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College, as well as a M.S. in criminal justice, and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Michigan State University. He was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is now at the ATF Forensic Science Laboratory. His research interests include gas and liquid chromatography separations coupled with mass spectrometry applied to forensic problems such as the age discrimination of human hair, pyrolysis of black electrical tape, and new methods for identifying high and low explosives at trace levels.