KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 14, 2018 – Henry Lee, one of the world’s leading forensic scientists and founder of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven, will headline the University of Rhode Island’s Forensic Science Partnership Seminar Series this fall.

Lee is well known for his investigative work on famous cases such as the JonBenét Ramsey murder, the Helle Crafts woodchipper murder, the O.J. Simpson and Laci Peterson cases and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The 20th year of the URI Forensic Science Partnership Seminar Series will also highlight polygraph testing, DNA comparison, identity theft and bias in forensic science. The Forensic Science Partnership, in conjunction with URI’s Department of Chemistry and the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory at URI, hosts the free, public series on Fridays at the Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, Room 100, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The series will conclude Dec. 7 with Lee’s seminar, “The Forensic Cases of Dr. Henry C. Lee.”

The other speakers and their topics for the series are:

Sept. 14: Henry Maynard, chief scientist at the Defense Forensic Science Center, “Determination Defeats Deception: Solving my Identify Theft Case”

Sept. 21: Det. Kyle Draper of the Rhode Island State Police and FBI Special Agent Chris Braga, “Polygraph”

Sept. 28: Nicholas Petraco, associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, “Evidence Traces — A Powerful Investigative Tool”

Oct. 5: Dr. Daniel P. Greenfield, assistant clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “Testifying in Court”

Oct. 12: Ioan Truta, criminalist and technical leader at the Boston Police Department, “Why BIAS is a scary term in Forensic Sciences”

Oct. 19: To be announced

Oct. 26: Maria Warner, former criminalist with the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, “Case Studies in Forensic Fiber Examinations”

Nov. 2: Ray Handel, forensic scientist at the Center for Disaster and Human Assistance Medicine, “Clinical Consequences from Chemical Explosives”

Nov. 9: Elaine Pagliaro, former director of the Connecticut State Forensic Laboratory and member of the Henry C. Lee Institute, “We have a DNA match… why isn’t that enough?”

Nov. 16: Michael Rickenbach, deputy director of the chemical analysis section at the Connecticut State Forensic Laboratory, “Forensics at the CT State Forensic Lab”

Nov. 30: Laura Parker, program manager of standards and testing at the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology department, “Aviation Security and Explosives Detection: Past, Present, & Future”

Dec. 7: Dr. Henry Lee, founder of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven, “The Forensic Cases of Dr. Henry C. Lee”

To be placed on an email list for the announcements of upcoming FSP seminars send an email request to dhilliard@uri.edu.

FSP Seminar Website

Alexa Stewart, intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at URI and Public Relations and Communication Studies Major, wrote this press release.