Forensic/Scientific Experts involved with NERFI

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Forensic/Scientific Experts involved with NERFI Lucy Davis Houck, B.S. , acts as a consultant in forensic DNA analysis, Quality Assurance and a NERFI Lecturer. She has worked for the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) as a technical consultant; the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory: as a Quality Assurance Supervisor, DNA section Supervisor, DNA Technical Leader, and Forensic Serologist.

Lucy also worked in the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Kentucky Medical Center as a Staff Technologist. Lucy has received certification from the American Board of Criminalistics, the American Society of Clinical Pathologist, and is a Qualified Lead ISO Auditor and FBI quality assurance standards. Lucy is a past member to several associations including the College of American Pathologists Proficiency Test Review Committee, the Technical and Scientific Working Groups on DNA Analysis Methods, and served as a Chairman of the Forensic Biology Section charged with drafting the certification examination on the American Board of Criminalistics.

At several conferences held by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Lucy has been a workshop instructor and is the past Criminalistics Section Secretary and Chair. She currently sits on the Awards and Nomination Committees. Lucy received her Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of ... more. less.

Kentucky and specialized in Medical Technology. She is currently enrolled in the Forensic Molecular Biology Master Program at the University at Albany, anticipated graduation December 2009. Karolyn (Kary) Leclaire Tontarski, M.A., DABC , serves as a part-time DNA Academy Lecturer for NERFI. When not in Albany, Kary works as an independent consultant on projects involving forensic biology, general criminalistics, and quality assurance for other operational agencies and programs. Ms. Tontarski 9s career in forensic science began at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory in 1984, where she worked for just over eleven years. Kary also worked for the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in their Northern Laboratory (Fairfax, Virginia) Forensic Biology Unit for almost six years before serving as the Technical Leader of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Crime Laboratory Forensic Biology Unit until July of 2007. Over the course of her career, Ms. Tontarski has performed examinations in and qualified as an expert with respect to DNA analysis, body fluid identification/serology testing, crime scene examination and evidence recovery, bloodstain pattern interpretation and crime scene reconstruction, trace evidence analysis, and footwear impression evidence analysis. Ms. Tontarski is a past-president of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists and of the American Board of Criminalistics. She has served on the National Forensic Science Technology Center Board of Directors, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a former National DNA Index System (NDIS) Audit Review Panel member, and has served as an FBI Quality Assurance Standards Auditor. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Criminalistics. Kary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Arts in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. Jamie L. Belrose, M.S. , works for NERFI as a Forensic Training Lecturer and Manager of Daily Operations. Previously, Jamie was employed by Taconic Biotechnology and served as both a Molecular Specialist and Senior Laboratory Specialist until she began work with NERFI. While employed with Taconic, Jamie developed and optimized various assays to genotype genetically modified rodents. For her summer internship, required for the Master program at the University at Albany, she was selected to be the New York State representative (one student per state selected) for the FBI Honors Internship Program in Quantico, Virginia. There, Jamie was part of the Counter Terrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit where she worked with mitochondrial DNA. Jamie received an A.S. in Math/Science from Adirondack Community College before attending the University of New Haven, where she earned her B.S. in Forensic Science. Jamie has since received a M.S. in Forensic Molecular Biology from the University at Albany. In addition, Jamie is currently a Trainee Affiliate of the American Academy Forensic Sciences 9s General Section; and an Associate Member of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists. George R. Carmody, Ph.D. , is a professor in the Biology Department of Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario and is the instructor for the four-day workshop on Forensic Statistical Methods at NERFI. Dr. Carmody 9s research interests include genetic variation of DNA and proteins, with respect to population differentiation, molecular evolution, and speciation; statistical and computer methods for determining genetic identity, kinship and the measurement of genetic subdivision of human populations using microsatellite (STR) loci. He is a member of Genetics Society of America, the Statistical Society of Ottawa, is Vice-Chair for the R.C.M.P. National DNA Databank Advisory Committee, is on the N.I.J. WTC Kinship and Data Analysis Planning Panel ('KADAP'), the New York State DNA Subcommittee, Commission on Forensic Science, and is part of the Katrina Victim DNA Identification Expert Group, among others. Dr. Carmody 9s work has been published in the Journal of Forensic Science and Science to name a few. Dr. Carmody gives statistics-based lectures throughout the United States and Canada and is often requested to testify in court. Dr. Carmody received both his A.B. in Chemistry and Ph.D. in Zoology from Columbia University. Randall V. Collura, Ph.D . , Randall received his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from Harvard in 2006. Randall 9s dissertation was titled, cMolecular Evolution of Genes Related to Primate Encephalization and Energetics. d He has several publications as well as teaching experience at Harvard, West Virginia University, and NERFI. More information about Randall and his research can be found at http://www.allrandall.com/ . Andrew A. Wist , M.S. , works as a Lecturer for NERFI as well as an independent Forensic DNA Consultant. Andy is retired from the Illinois State Police Forensic Sciences Command, where he served as the Lead Trainer for new personnel in the Biology section - providing training manuals and programs, as well as evaluating equipment and methods. Andy was employed with the Illinois State Police for 30 years. Prior to training others, Andy was as a Biology/DNA analyst and Drug Analyst. In addition, he is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 9s Criminalistics section. Andy has also participated as a DNA Auditor and ASCLD/Lab Assessor. He received his Bachelor in Chemistry at Willamette University and his Master in Forensic Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Mary Katherine (Katy) Gonder, Ph.D. , is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Albany. She teaches a graduate level population genetics course in the department, primarily to students studying for the Master's degree in biology with a specialty in Forensics. The focus of her research is on the spatial patterning of population genetic diversity of apes and other mammals of the Gulf of Guinea Biodiversity block, which encompasses the forested regions of Nigeria and Cameroon in West Africa. More detailed information about Dr. Gonder and her research group can be found at http://www.albany.edu/faculty/gonder/ . Joanne Sgueglia, B.S. , joined the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory System (MSPCLS) in May 1999 as the Technical Manager of Forensic Biology. Ms. Sgueglia had oversight of the Crime Scene Response, Criminalistics, DNA and CODIS Units for eight years. During her stead at the MSPCLS she was certified as a Diplomate of the ABC, and has performed the duties of Acting Crime Laboratory Director, including oversight of DNA funding supplied by Federal NIJ grants. Ms. Sgueglia is currently a Forensic Research Scientist, overseeing the Quality Control, Research, Development and Training sections. This QRDT unit serves as a scientific support section for the operational DNA units to maintain instrumentation and provide troubleshooting expertise, investigate and validate new technologies and coordinate trainings. She has served as the primary instructor in conducting in-house DNA academies for databasing and caseworking analysts. Ms. Sgueglia is actively involved in the FBI SWGDAM Subcommittee for Mixture Interpretations. Prior to joining MSP, she was a Forensic Scientist at the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory located in Long Island, New York, for 7 years. Ms. Sgueglia performed DNA analyses using RFLP and STR technologies. She was the lead scientist responsible for STR validation, a participant of the FBI-STR standardization project, and instrumental in the identification of human remains from the TWA Flight 800 mass disaster. Her career in forensic DNA testing began in 1988 at Lifecodes Corporation in Valhalla, New York. Due to this diverse governmental and commercial background in the field, Joanne has processed cases from across the nation and provided testimony at criminal proceedings in 12 states. Ms. Sgueglia received her B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York, College at Purchase. She has graduate forensic training in Criminalistics, Forensic DNA Applications and mtDNA sequencing analysis from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, N.Y, FBI/University of Virginia, and George Mason University/Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, respectively. Douglas M. Lucas MSc, Dsc (Hon) , Doug retired in 1994 from the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto following 37 years of service, 27 as the Centre 9s Director. His scientific background was in toxicology and chemistry with particular emphasis on alcohol, fire investigation and explosives. He has published over 30 papers and chapters on a variety of forensic science topics. Doug also has been active with several professional associations and is a past president of the Canadian Society of Forensic Sciences, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association of Forensic Sciences, and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) He was co-chair of a committee of the American Academy which drafted the Academy 9s Code of Ethics and served seventeen years on the AAFS Ethics Committee, twelve as its chair. With ASCLD, he was involved in the development of an international forensic proficiency testing program in the late 1970s and with the establishment of the ASCLD/LAB accreditation program in 1982. Post-retirement, Doug has continued his association with the proficiency testing program as an advisor and has served as a consultant internationally to forensic laboratories, primarily with respect to management and/or quality assurance issues. This included serving on a five member international c Blue Ribbon Scientific Panel d in support of an eighteen month investigation by the Office of the Inspector General in the US Department of Justice of allegations of misconduct and improper practices by staff of the FBI Laboratory. He also served as scientific advisor to the Independent Investigator reviewing the problems in the Houston PD Crime Lab in 2005-2007. From December 1998 to December 2003, another major activity involved serving as a member of a three person international c Peer Review Panel d advising the Judicial Tribunal for the c Bloody Sunday Inquiry d into the tragic events of January 30, 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland in which thirteen civilians were killed and fourteen seriously wounded by gunshots during a confrontation with the British army. Between 2003 and 2006 a similar activity was associated with a major investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Service of the Omagh Bombing of August 1998 in which 29 people were killed by an IRA bomb. John Butler, Ph.D. , John received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Virginia in 1995. He accepted a post-doc position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and later a full-time position. He is presently still employed with NIST as a Project Leader. John 9s dissertation was titled, cSizing and quantitation of polymerase chain reaction products by capillary electrophoresis for use in DNA typing. d He has published countless articles in peer-reviewed journals and a well-known book titled, Forensic DNA Typing, 2 nd Ed.: Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers . In addition to these accomplishments, John has received numerous awards including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and NIST Fellow. John W. Bailey, J.D. , John is an attorney in private practice with the firm of Bailey, Kelleher & Johnson, P.C. He is a graduate of the University at Albany and Albany Law School. Mr. Bailey also serves as a Guilderland Town Justice, a suburban Albany community with a very busy criminal calendar. Mr. Bailey is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the Albany County Bar Association. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and a past President of the Northeastern Chapter of the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Bailey has consulted with NERFI leadership on scientific and legal issues and has participated in programs designed to train NERFI scientist. Mr. Bailey has a keen professional interest in developing the availability of the forensic sciences for courtroom application in criminal as well as in civil matters. Robert J. Conflitti, J.D. , Bob Conflitti is an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU) in Attorney General Andrew Cuomo 9s Poughkeepsie Regional Office. In the SOMU, Bob handles litigation involving the recently-enacted Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act, codified primarily at Mental Hygiene Law Article 10, and involving civil commitment and outpatient supervision of appropriate sex offenders. Prior to joining the Attorney General 9s staff, Bob spent the bulk of his 25-year legal career working on behalf of public prosecutors. From 2002 to 2007, he was a staff attorney with the New York Prosecutors Training Institute in Albany, training and assisting prosecutors statewide, and handling primarily issues involving child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. He worked for a total of nine years as a prosecutor in Orange County, New York, ending his employment there as a Senior Assistant District Attorney. There, at various times, he supervised felony prosecution in Orange County Court, grand jury operations, investigations, and local court prosecution. He has also worked as an Assistant District Attorney in New York County (Manhattan); and as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County, California. Bob is a 1984 cum laude graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, and a 1981 honors graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Paul Clyne, J.D. , Paul earned his J.D. from Albany Law School and later became the District Attorney of Albany County. Paul served in this role from January 2001 until December 2004. After his time as District Attorney, Paul accepted a position teaching at the New York State Prosecutors Training Institute (NYPTI). He is currently in private practice as a criminal defense attorney.

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