Bringing FGG into the Publicly Accredited Laboratory – Considerations from Validation to Implementation

Chair

Michael Coble

Executive Director, Center for Human Identification, UNTHSC

Michael Coble, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Executive Director of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a member of the International Society for Forensic Genetics. He serves as a commissioner of the Texas Forensic Science Commission and is an invited guest at the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM).

Melissa Haas

Casework Laboratory Director, UNT Center for Human Identification

Melissa Haas serves as the Casework Laboratory Director for UNT Center for Human Identification overseeing all technical operations of the laboratory.  Prior to joining UNT Center for Human Identification, Melissa served as the DNA Section Supervisor for the Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Crime Laboratory in Garland, Texas.  Melissa has over 20 years of experience in forensic DNA casework with expertise in STRs, Y-STRs and SNPs.

Wendy McLean

Genealogist specializing in Forensic and Investigative Genetic Genealogy (F/IGG), Center for Human Identification (CHI), University of North Texas Health Science Center

Wendy has collaborated with organizations such as Bode Technology, Redgrave Research, DNA Doe Project, and the Cold Case Coalition. She also served as a Practitioner-In-Residence at the University of New Haven, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. In this role, she contributed to the Online Graduate Certificate Program for Forensic Genetic Genealogy during the 2022 and 2023 cohorts, further enriching her expertise and sharing her knowledge with aspiring professionals in the field.

Nicole Novroski

Assistant Professor, Forensic Science Program (Dept of Anthropology), University of Toronto

Dr. Nicole Novroski is currently an Assistant Professor in the Forensic Science Program (Dept of Anthropology) at the University of Toronto. Her research focus throughout her PhD, and now as a faculty member, is DNA mixture deconvolution. Nicole is also exploring a variety of new approaches and methods for forensic DNA typing. 

Amy Smuts

Forensic Validation Coordinator, Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center

Amy Smuts is currently the Forensic Validation Coordinator of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. She has been at UNTCHI since 2000, having spent the majority of that time in casework.

August Woerner

Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center

August Woerner is an Assistant Professor in the department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Much of August’s current research focuses on whole genome sequencing, particular, its application to forensic genetic genealogy.