Cedar Crest College will host the 21st Annual Forensic Science Symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. At this full-day event, expert speakers will discuss their different disciplines in forensic science, including DNA analysis, forensic pathology, drug chemistry, and firearms and toolmark examination. You’ll have the opportunity to hear firsthand about the fascinating cases they’ve worked on during their careers and learn about the latest groundbreaking techniques used in the field. Whether you are a current or future student, professional, or just someone with a curious mind, you won’t want to miss this event.
Registration is required and closes March 24 at noon. Registration and event details can be found here.
Cedar Crest College forensic science students organize and lead the symposium and have been responsible for the annual event since 2002. Cedar Crest is one of the top colleges for the study of forensic science — and offers one of the few fully accredited programs in the nation. Learn more about Cedar Crest’s Forensic Science Program at https://www.cedarcrest.edu/academics/forensic_science/
About the Speakers
Kristi Bartok, B.S., MSFS
Forensic Chemist, Union County Prosecutor’s Office Forensic Laboratory
Presentation: Illicit Drugs: A Guide for Analysis
Bartok holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in forensic science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she focused on molecular biology and toxicology. She started her career as a criminalist at the NYPD Police Laboratory in 2017, where she analyzed controlled substances and testified in court as needed. In 2019, Bartok transitioned to her current role as a forensic chemist at the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Forensic Laboratory, where she performs similar duties. Bartok has also served as an adjunct instructor at several colleges, including John Jay, Union County College, and Kean University.
Lisa Desire, B.S., MSFS
Founder, Prime Suspect LLC
Presentation: GE, DNA, AND LIFE AFTER CCC
Desire is a former forensic scientist with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s Department of Forensic Biology, the largest laboratory of its kind in North America. During her tenure, she investigated thousands of homicides, sexual assaults, and missing persons cases, and was a supervisor of victim identification for the World Trade Center attack, the most complicated forensic investigation in the history of the United States. Desire has testified as an Expert Witness in forensic biology and DNA analysis and has earned the certifications of ASCLD-LAB Inspector and FBI DNA Auditor. She was presented with NYPD’s Centurion Award and the Honor Legion’s Certificate of Merit for her contributions on a high-profile serial killer case. Desire founded Prime Suspect LLC, an education and consulting company that brings forensic information to students, teachers, attorneys, and law enforcement through hands-on activities, professional development sessions, and courtroom assistance. She received her bachelor’s in genetic engineering from Cedar Crest College and her master’s in forensic science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She has served as an instructor, adjunct lecturer, and member of several universities, organizations, and advisory boards.
Heather R. Dover, B.S., MSFS
Firearms and Toolmark Examiner, OCSO-CSI
Presentation: Beneath the Surface: Effects of Saltwater on Firearms and Ammunition
Dover is a senior forensic chemist with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Laboratory (OCSO-CSI) in Toms River, NJ, where she has been employed since 2003. Her duties have included firearms and toolmark examiner, urine toxicology, and narcotic analysis. She has a bachelor’s in biochemistry/molecular biology from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and has also earned a master’s certificate in forensic science from the University of Florida, where she is currently working towards her master’s in forensic science. She has received certifications in “Firearms Evidence Examination and Identification,” “Gunshot Residue Evidence Examination and Identification,” and “Toolmark Evidence Examination and Identification” from The Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE) — making her one of 26 people in the world with all three certifications.
In 2008, Dover became the first person from New Jersey to attend and graduate from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Firearms Examiner Academy (NFEA). Dover has served as an instructor at the NFEA for the bullet examination module for the past five years, has given instruction in firearm and toolmark identification to various audiences, and has testified in firearm and narcotic-related evidence in New Jersey courts. She is a member of multiple forensic science associations, including AFTE, NJFFEA, AAFS, and NJAFS, and is currently serving as co-chair of the Firearms and Toolmark Consensus Board for AAFS.
Demi Garvin, B.S., PharmD., RPh., F-ABFT
Director of Forensic Science Services for Forensic Science Network
Presentation: It’s a Grab Bag! Case Studies in Forensic Toxicology
Since 2016, Garvin has served as director of forensic services for Forensic Science Network, a privately held company that offers forensic testing, training, education, case consultation, and quality management services. She holds a bachelor’s in biology from Furman University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of South Carolina (USC) College of Pharmacy.
Gavin worked for 16 years as a staff clinical and forensic toxicologist and drug chemist with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Forensic Services Laboratory. In 2000, she established the Forensic Sciences Drug Identification Section at Richland County Sheriff’s Department and became laboratory director in 2008. Under her leadership, the RCSD Forensic Sciences Laboratory became the first in South Carolina to be accredited by the ASCLD/LAB-International program, and the Crime Scene and Latent Prints Section was the first in the nation to receive this accreditation. From 2016 to 2018, she served as business development and quality manager for DPX Technologies. Garvin has been an adjunct clinical pharmacy preceptor and instructor for USC College of Pharmacy and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, respectively. She was also an independent contractor in workplace drug testing for the National Laboratory Certification Program at the direction of the Substances and Mental Health Services Administration for 25 years and a certified South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer for 28 years. She is a member of various professional associations and serves on several boards.
Edward L. Mazuchowski, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief of Forensic Pathology, Division of HNL Lab Medicine at Forensic Pathology Associates
Presentation: Zero Preventable Deaths-Incorporating Medicolegal Death Investigations into the Trauma System
Mazuchowsk received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in mechanical engineering with honors followed by a master’s in engineering and Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated the biomechanical properties of the human spinal cord. He completed his medical school training at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, followed by an AP/CP residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center/ San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. He completed his Forensic Pathology Fellowship at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Baltimore, MD, and the Office of Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Bethesda, MD.
Mazuchowski served as deputy medical examiner of the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Rockville, MD; director, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, program director of the Forensic Pathology Fellowship, director of Special Projects, Education, Analysis & Research, deputy armed forces medical examiner at Dover AFB; and chief, Forensic Services at San Antonio Military Medical Center. Mazuchowski is certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic, Clinical and Forensic Pathology. He is a Fellow and certified inspector for the National Association of Medical Examiners, Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, editorial board member of the Journal of Forensic Sciences and American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, assistant professor of Pathology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and affiliate faculty at the University of Delaware.
LeeAnn Singley, B.S., MSFS
Forensic Consultant, Owner of Grayson Singley Associates, LLC
Presentation: “The year was…1996” (Can Lessons be Learned from a 26-Year-Old Case Study in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis?)
Singley is an accomplished forensic scientist with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in forensic science from the University of Florida. She spent most of her career in the serology section of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Crime Laboratory, where she held various roles, including the technical coordinator and supervisor of the PSP Harrisburg Regional Laboratory’s Serology Section. During her tenure, she testified as an expert witness over 90 times in various courts.
Singley’s expertise also extends to bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), which she began studying in 1993. She has performed BPA in both laboratory and crime scene settings and has been recognized for her contributions to the field. She is a former President of the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (IABPA) and a charter member of the Scientific Working Group on Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (SWGSTAIN). She was also appointed to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee and served as the chair on the Quality Assurance Task Group for seven years. Since retiring from the PSP, she has continued to provide consulting and education services in BPA through her company, Grayson Singley Associates, LLC.
Learn more about Forensic Science at Cedar Crest College
For questions, please contact Janine Kishbaugh at .