Forensic Science Seminar Series

Feb 12th @9:30am: “Medicolegal Death Investigation”

Dennis Cavalli, P.A., MPH, received his BS degree in Psychology from Fordham University. While in college and after, he worked as an EMT in the NYC EMS. He then attended the Bayley Seton Hospital Physician Assistant Training Program. He worked in Critical Care Medicine and Trauma as well as Emergency Medicine. Dennis later received his MPH from New York Medical College. For the last 26 years, Dennis has been working as a Supervising Investigator in the Forensic Investigation Unit of the NYC Medical Examiner.

Feb 19th @8:30am (note different time): “Forensic Psychology: Perspectives from a Prison Shrink”

Shoval Gur-Aryeh, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, licensed in NJ and NY. He is currently the Director for Mental Health Services and the Director of the Medication-Assisted Treatment program for opioid-addicted individuals, for the Middlesex County Department of Corrections. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Mental Health Dept. at an adult jail, Juvenile Detention Facility, and youth shelter. Prior to his current position he was the Director of Mental Health Services at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.  Dr. Gur-Aryeh received his BA in Psychology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University.

March 5th @9:30am: “Beyond Comparison—Forensic Microscopy”

Christopher Palenik, PhD, is Vice President and a Senior Research Microscopist at Microtrace LLC, a private microanalytical laboratory in Elgin, Illinois. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan where his thesis focused on the world’s only naturally occurring nuclear reactor. This academic basis was counterbalanced by practical internships at the Bundeskriminalamt in Germany (the German Federal Police Crime Laboratory), the Internal Revenue Service National Forensic Laboratory, and a post‐doctoral fellowship at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Through this educational background, Chris developed an intimate familiarity with a wide range of materials and microanalytical approaches. Following his formal education, Chris has had the fortunate opportunity to continually expand his knowledge while applying it to a wide variety of unusual investigations working at Microtrace. With projects that have included capital punishment cases, military court martials, and civil litigation and clients from pharma, food, environmental and nanotechnology industries, he has encountered a range of scientifically fascinating and newsworthy cases. Chris is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and serves in appointed positions on the North Carolina Forensic Science Laboratory Advisory board and the National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Standards Organization (OSAC).

March 26th @9:30am: “Forensic Drug Chemistry”

Tammi Jacobs Shulman, BS, is a forensic chemist with 29 years if experience working in gov’t crime labs. Ms. Shulman recently retired from the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research Division of Forensic Sciences and is now the Exec Director of Teen Drug Test, a private company specializing in drug testing options for parents and health care professionals. She is certified by the American Board of Criminalistics in drug analysis and is a past president of the Northeastern Assoc of Forensic Scientists. Ms. Shulman received her BS degree in Chemistry from the Metropolitan State Univ of Denver.

April 9th @9:30am: “Body Fluid Identification through Proteomics”

Donald Siegel, PhD, received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Dept of Neuroscience at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and did his postdoctoral work in molecular genetics at the Rockefeller University.  He was on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and New York Medical College.  In 2007 he moved to the Molecular Genetics Laboratory in the Department of Forensic Biology at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner where he became Research Supervisor and Quality Management Supervisor.  He is currently Principal Scientist and leads the Emerging Technologies Group at the NYC OCME.

April 16th @9:30am: “Forensic Document Examination”

Kelsey Osborn, BS, is the great-great-granddaughter of Albert Osborn, an early pioneer of questioned document examination in North America.  She is a graduate of the Univ. of Central Oklahoma and received her degrees in Forensic Science and English. She is currently completing her training to become a Forensic Document Examiner representing the 5th generation of her family’s business, Osborn & Son, the oldest private document examination practice in the Unites States.

April 23th @9:30am: “Digital Forensics: It’s Not Only Computer Crime”

Det. Brandon Epstein, MS, has been a law enforcement officer since 2007 and has performed digital forensic examinations since 2014. Brandon has an MS degree in Recording Arts – emphasis in Media Forensics from the National Center for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado Denver and holds numerous digital forensic certifications. He is active with many professional organizations, including the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE), the IAI Forensic Video Certification Board, the IACP Cybercrime and Digital Evidence committee, the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) and ASTM Committee E30 on Forensic Science. Brandon regularly provides digital forensic instruction to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers nationwide and internationally. He is currently a Forensic Video Analyst and Mobile Device Examiner for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Contact Prof. David Fisher (dfisher@njit.edu) for more information.

See our past speakers.