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National Center on Forensics

Statistics 101

August 2023

This training was presented as a part of the National Center on Forensics conference at George Mason University on August 9th, 2023. It is common for statistics to be used to contextualize the significance of evidence in a court of law. However, these statistics can be difficult to decipher without proper instruction. In this session, pathologist Dr. Dan Milner breaks down common uses of statistics in an easily-digestible way in order to elevate viewer’s understanding.

DNA 101

August 2023

This training was presented as a part of the National Center on Forensics conference at George Mason University on August 8th, 2023. In this session, FBI Forensic DNA Examiner Amanda Bakker introduces all the most vital concepts of DNA analysis and evidence. For those who aren’t DNA analysts but work in tangential fields such as law enforcement and criminal justice, this session will be incredibly useful for understanding topics such as what DNA is, how it transfers, how it is collected, and how it is analyzed.

Impression Session: Firearms and Toolmarks

August 2023

This training was presented as a part of the National Center on Forensics Conference at George Mason University on August 10th, 2023. In this session, NIST Senior Forensic Science Research Manager Rob Thompson and FBI Supervisory Physical Scientist/Forensic Examiner Michelle Machalka introduce the concepts of firearm and fingerprint impressions.

Advanced Forensic Genetic Genealogy

March 2024

George Mason University and the National Association of Attorneys General presents the National Center on Forensics Continued Training Plan to provide additional training sessions for more advanced information on the topics covered in the conference. In this training session, Dr. Mark Wilson will discuss how DNA is used to generate data for use in FGG.

This event was hosted by the National Center on Forensics under an award from the National Institute of Justice.