Poisons, bombs, and bite marks among topics
of URI's second Forensic Science Partnership
Thursday Seminar Series

KINGSTON, R.I. -- January 27, 2000 -- Crimes involving poisons, bombs and biting and the science used to solve them are among the topics of the University of Rhode Island's Forensic Science Partnership Thursday Seminar Series, which begins today and runs through May 4.

All lectures/demonstrations, except for the Feb. 3 program, will be held in Pastore Hall, Room 124 at 4 p.m. The Feb. 3 lecture will be held in the Cherry Auditorium of the Kirk Engineering Building at 4 p.m.

The dates, speakers and their topics are:

Jan. 27 -- Robert Foster, senior trial counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, "The Use of Experts in Environmental Litigation," discussion will focus on how expert witnesses were used by the United States to show that a nerve gas incinerator was not a threat to health and the environment and how the government used experts to show that land targeted for a shopping mall once contained wetlands.

Feb. 3 -- Kevin Glynn, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, Newport, "Computer Crimes;"

Feb. 10 -- Elaine Pagliaro, Connecticut State Crime Laboratory, "The Importance of Biological Evidence in Criminal Investigations;"

Feb. 17 -- Don Housman, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, Newport, "Forensics of Bloodspatter;"

Feb. 24 -- John H. Trestrail III, a registered pharmacist and board certified toxicologist who is a visiting instructor at the FBI National Academy, "Poisoners Throughout History," a discussion of homicidal poisoning from the days of early man, to the present.

March 2 -- Joe DiZinno, chief of the DNA Analysis Unit II at the FBI Laboratory, "Forensic Dentistry," discussion will focus on the various aspects of forensic dentistry, including bite mark analysis and the dental aspects of the human identification process.

. March 9 -- Peter R. DeForest, professor of criminalistics, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, "Why a Graduate Degree Program in Forensic Science?";

Semester Break;

March 23 -- Douglas H. Ubelaker, curator of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, "Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology," presentation will focus on the varied applications of physical anthropology to medico-legal investigation;

March 30 -- Steven Burmeister, chief of the FBI Explosives Unit, title of talk to be announced later;

April 6 -- Ronald E. Menold II, sub-unit program manager for the Paints and Polymer Sub-Unit at the FBI Laboratory, "The Forensic Analysis of Paints, Tapes, and Polymers";

April 13 -- Rich Saferstein, retired chief forensic scientists at the New Jersey State Police Laboratory, topic to be announced;

April 20 -- Gerald J. Kufta, Kufta Consulting, former Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal, who has investigated a fire in every state east of the Mississippi, topic to be announced;

April 27 -- Don Seigel, University of Rhode Island graduate, now of Syracuse University, "Hydrogeochemistry of the World's Largest Landfill," (Freshkill, N.Y.);

May 4 -- Eve Hinman, structural engineer and president of Hinman Consulting Engineers, San Francisco, "Protecting Buildings Against the Effects of Explosions," the discussion will look at threat definition, weapons effects, loads on structures and typical structural failure modes.

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For Further Information: Dave Lavallee 401-874-2116