Researchers from the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) are set to lead two workshops and take part in a special session focused on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies at the upcoming American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) annual scientific conference. The conference will be held Feb. 17-22 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Statistical Thinking for Forensic Science: From Probability to Black Box Studies to Likelihood Ratios Workshop (W9)
Feb. 17, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and Chancellor’s Professor of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine, and Jeff Salyards, CSAFE researcher, will be presenting the workshop “Statistics and Forensic Science: From Probability to Black Box Studies to Likelihood Ratios” on Feb. 17 at 8:30-4:30 p.m. EST.
Stern and Salyards will introduce the key concepts in probability and statistics by linking them to topics currently impacting the forensic science community. The workshop will consist of four 90-minute sessions covering probability concepts, understanding black box studies, the two-stage approach to forensic inference and the likelihood ratio in forensic science.
Anyone interested in better understanding current discussions surrounding validation studies, error rates, inconclusive findings, likelihood ratios and general concepts in statistics and probability is encouraged to attend.
Expanding the Forensic Professional’s Toolbox: New Technological Resources for the Evaluation of Evidence Workshop (W26)
Feb. 18, 1-5 p.m. EST
To encourage the adoption of new methodology, CSAFE researchers have created tools that enable forensic practitioners to implement quantitative methods for evaluating firearms, footwear, and handwriting evidence. In this workshop, attendees will explore and use three applications that will soon be available for testing in real casework. These applications are accessible to the public at no cost. Attendees will receive hands-on training with the software and example data. Additionally, the workshop will feature lecture-style presentations to ensure that users gain a solid understanding of the scientific principles and data that support these applications.
The workshop will be held Feb. 18 at 1-5 p.m. EST and will include three one-hour sessions, each followed by a 15-minute discussion:
- BulletR: An Application for the Comparision of Bullets
Heike Hofmann, professor of statistics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - ShoeComp and ShoeAnalyzr: Applications to Align and Compare Footwear Impressions
Steve Lund, Mathematical Statistician at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director and President’s Chair in Statistics at Iowa State University - Handwriter: An Application for the Evaluation of Handwritten Evidence
Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director and President’s Chair in Statistics at Iowa State University
Technology: A Tool for Transformation or Tyranny? Interdisciplinary Symposium (S3)
Feb. 18, 1-6 p.m. EST
The Interdisciplinary Symposium spotlights the conference’s theme, “Technology: A Tool for Transformation or Tyranny?” through three keynote talks and two panel discussions. The event will bring together leading experts representing all sections of forensic science with a mission to explore how technology shapes the field. The symposium will be held Feb. 18 at 1-6 p.m. EST.
The first panel, titled “Artificial Intelligence in Forensics,” will be moderated by Yong Guan, a CSAFE researcher and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University. Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director and President’s Chair in Statistics at Iowa State University, will be a panelist. This session will explore the dual role of AI in forensic science and its potential to enhance accuracy and efficiency alongside ethical concerns such as bias and privacy risks.
The second panel, “Emerging Technologies and Legal Implications,” will feature Carriquiry as a panelist alongside Sarah Chu, a CSAFE advisory board member and the director of Policy and Reform at the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo Law. This session will explore how advancements in forensic tools transform investigations while raising critical legal and ethical questions.
JoAnne Buscaglia, a CSAFE advisory board member and research chemist at the Department of Justice, will be a keynote speaker. She will present “A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Research, Development, Technology, and Transition into Forensic Science Operations.”
CSAFE will be in booth 704 in the Exhibit Hall starting on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and several CSAFE researchers will present their research findings during the scientific sessions. More information about CSAFE attending the AAFS conference can be found here.
