This Episode 60 in the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Just Science podcast series profiles the career of Dr. Jeri Ropero-Miller as a member of the team of the NIJ-funded Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE), whose mission is to provide evidence-based resources on forensic technologies.
Dr. Ropero-Miller is FTCoE's Chief Scientist. Her undergraduate degree is in chemistry and her doctorate is in the forensic aspects of chemistry. She began her forensics career at the North Carolina Medical Examiner Office, where she specialized in the toxicological aspects of death investigations. Motivated by her interest in research, she then became employed by RTI, an independent, nonprofit institute that provides research, development, and technical services to government and commercial clients worldwide. At RTI she was involved in developing a grant proposal to NIJ for the creation of FTCoE, leading to her becoming its Chief Scientist. Because of her background in toxicology, she has provided leadership in FTCoE's research and technical assistance related to death investigations that involve opioid overdoses. She discusses her involvement in various professional groups related to her work and the benefits provided by these professional interactions. She also describes FTCoE's various educational programs in aspects of forensic science that are underway and being planned for the near future.