Welcome to the Subcommittee on Forensic Science homepage.
The purpose of the Subcommittee on Forensic Science (SoFS) is to advise and assist the Committee on Science (COS), the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and other coordination bodies of the Executive Office of the President on policies, procedures and plans related to forensic science in the national security, criminal justice, and medical examiner/coroner systems at the local, state and federal levels.
Major Goals:
This Subcommittee was created to assess the practical challenges of implementing recommendations in the 2009 National Research Council (NRC) report entitled Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, and to advise the White House on how best to achieve the goals outlined in that report. The SoFS is charged with developing practical and timely approaches to enhancing the validity and reliability of the federal government’s forensic science activities. This includes ensuring that regional, state and local entities adopt best practices in forensic sciences, and facilitating a strong coordinated effort across federal agencies to identify and address important federal policy, program and budget matters.
Membership:
Co-Chairs:
- Mark Stolorow, National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Kenneth Melson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Executive Secretary:
- Robin Jones, Department of Justice
Organizational Members:
Department of Commerce
- David Detlor, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
- Kathy Moore, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Department of Defense
- Larry Chelko, Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory
- Terence Hess, Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office
Department of Homeland Security
- Marshall Heeger, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Deborah Leben, United States Secret Service
- Rick Lempert, Science & Technology
- Ira Reese, Customs and Border Protection
Department of Energy
- Jehanne Gillo, Office of Science
Environmental Protection Agency
- Howard Cantor, Office of Inspector General
Executive Office of the President
- Dan Costello, Office of Management and Budget
- Nell McCarthy, Domestic Policy Council
- Ben Page, Office of Management and Budget
- Rick Weiss, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Department of Health and Human Services
- Lucinda Buhse, Food and Drug Administration
- Laura Rodriguez, National Institutes of Health
Department of the Interior
- Tyler Coplen, United States Geological Survey
Judiciary Branch
- Rob Epstein, Public Defender, Eastern District of PA
Department of Justice
- Greg Czarnopys, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Chris Hassell, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- John Kacavas, Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA)
- Larry Rothenberg, Office of Legal Policy
- Nelson Santos, Drug Enforcement Administration
- Mike Sheppo, National Institute of Justice
- Melissa Smrz, Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Science Foundation
- Mark Weiss Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
National Transportation Safety Board
- Paul Sledzik, Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance
Smithsonian Institution
- Robert Fleischer, National Museum of Natural History
- Tim Walsh, National Zoological Park
Department of the Treasury
- Nancy Berthold, Tax Administration's Forensic Science Laboratory
- Robin Hunton, National Forensic Laboratory
United States Postal Service
- Patricia Manzolillo