Bruce Houlihan is Director of the Orange County Crime Laboratory (OCCL) in southern California, a position he has held since 2010. He has worked at the OCCL for almost 33 years, dedicating most of his professional career to forensic science in Orange County as well as national initiatives and organizations.

Mr. Houlihan serves on the American Society of Crime Laboratory governing board, and also served as the chair of the Emerging Drugs Task Force Committee. He has served as president and board member of the California Association of Crime Laboratory Directors, and continues on different committees with both organizations: Rapid DNA, legislative issues, advocacy, and others. He is currently serving a 6-year term with the Organization of Scientific Area Committees, Quality Infrastructure Committee, a national organization with mission to improve forensic science in the United States.

Mr. Houlihan has published papers in forensic DNA and toxicology; and has presented topics in forensic information processing, management, drug chemistry, and sexual assault case processing. Among his contributions to forensic science in Orange County include improvements to database searching of firearms cartridge cases and bullets; receipt and processing of all sexual assault kit evidence collected in Orange County; enabling an advanced driving under the influence of drugs program; implementation of automated batching and analysis of DNA and toxicology casework; instituting rapid forensic information sharing among forensic stakeholders; and other projects.Bruce is a part-time adjunct instructor in chemistry and physics, volunteers with relief and charitable organizations, and was raised in central Japan. He lives in southern California with his wife and family.