FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK... Carol Henderson

This issue of It’s Evident marks the end of a busy summer with a fall schedule which promises the same. Here’s what’s new:

• NCSTL.org's “one-stop-shop” database has grown to over 41,000 records and continues to develop and consolidate forensic-based information;
  
  
• To inform NCSTL’s constituency – law enforcement, legal professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, and technologists – of our work, NCSTL representatives attended conferences nationally and internationally including a presentation at the European Academy of Forensic Sciences (EAFS) Conference in Helsinki, Finland in June and a Forensic Science Educational Conference in St. Louis, Missouri in July;
  
  
• Director appeared on Court TV on June 19 as trial commentator on Jami Floyd: Best Defense Regarding State of Florida vs. Justin Barber;
  
  
• Five DVD projects are targeted for completion this fall;
  
  
• NCSTL acquired two collections: 1) Library resources from the estate of Douglas J. Caywood which added many questioned document and firearm resources to NCSTL’s library collection and 2) the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE) shared its QDAD (Questioned Document Article Database) resources. NCSTL is incorporating the QDAD records into its database.

Save the Date! The second NIJ/NCSTL Conference for Science, Technology and the Law is being held on November 2-5, 2006 at the beautiful Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, FL. The conference features information on forensics of interest to law enforcement, forensic experts, attorneys and judges, scientists, engineers, technologists, and teachers. CLE credit is being offered.

We, at NCSTL, look forward to your attendance at the National Conference for Science, Technology and the Law in November. For more information click here: NIJ. As always, NCSTL anticipates a very active year and continued growth. Stay tuned …

RESEARCH FOCUS
Methamphetamine: A New Tiger to Tame
Leeanne Frazier, Staff Researcher

In addition to being another drug in the panoply of abusive substances to invade human society, meth presents new challenges and issues for law enforcement officials and the public. Full Paper

RESEARCH EXTRA
OPINION: DNA
Marian Daggett, Law & Science Fellow

The advances in DNA technology that have come to fruition in the past ten years are incredible. DNA technology continues to alter and advance forensic evidence examination. Full paper

SPECIAL REPORT – Caywood Collection
Diane Gustafson, Coordinator

The NCSTL Library Reference Collection was recently the recipient of a comprehensive set of books, documents, articles, photographs, reference materials and personal papers generously donated by Mrs. Janet Caywood. Details ...

WEIRD SCIENCE and FAUX-N-SICS
Marian Daggett, Law and Science Fellow
Catherine Guthrie, Staff Researcher

Determining whether the latest forensic technologies are authentic weird science or merely flashy faux-n-sics. Bibliography

FROM THE RESEARCH DESK...Database and Reference Collection
Diana Botluk, Director of Research

The NCSTL database has grown to over 41,000 records. What you might not know, however, is about a day in the life of an NCSTL researcher ... Find out more

TECHNOLOGY AND DISTANCE EDUCATION NEWS
Dr. Susan Zucker, Director Technology & Distance Education and Publisher of It's Evident

June was a busy, collaborative month for the Directors of Research and Technology and Distance Education who helped spread the news about the NCSTL! Find out more

NCSTL ACTIVITIES and PRESS: Find out where NCSTL staff has been and what we’ve been doing, as well as information about our publications, professional associations, and the press coverage we have received.