Release
Media Advisory: UAlbany's Northeast Regional Forensic Institute Awarded U.S. Department of Justice Grant to Improve Forensic Services
Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150
ALBANY, N.Y. (October 17, 2006)
What:
Congressman Michael R. McNulty,
Provost Susan Herbst and Northeast Regional
Forensic Institute (NERFI) director W. Mark Dale
will announce the creation of a new pilot
project developed by NERFI to link the
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
used by forensic labs to the Prosecutor Case
Management System (PCMS). Connecting these two
systems will leverage information technology to
increase the efficiency, timeliness and quality
of forensic services offered to the criminal
justice community. Congressman McNulty was
instrumental is securing $100,000 for NERFI from
the Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) in the U.S. Department of
Justice to move this project forward.
When:
Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 10:00 a.m.
Who:
Hon. Michael R. McNulty, Congressman,
21st District (New York), United States House of
Representatives
Sean Byrne, Executive Director, New York
Prosecutors Training Institute
Robert Carney, Schenectady County District
Attorney
Patricia DeAngelis, Rensselaer County District
Attorney
Susan Herbst, Provost and Executive Vice
President for Academic Affairs, University at
Albany
W. Mark Dale, Director, Northeast Regional
Forensic Institute, University at Albany
Lynn Videka, Vice President for Research,
University at Albany
Don Orokos, Department of Biology, NERFI,
University at Albany
Where:
University Hall, 1st floor, UAlbany uptown
campus, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany
Background: About NERFI
The Northeast Regional Forensic Institute
(NERFI) is a collaborative partnership between
the University at Albany and local forensic
laboratories founded in 2004 with the support of
New York Senator Charles E. Schumer. NERFI is
designed to address a nationwide shortage of
forensic scientists, which has created critical
casework backlogs in labs across the nation. In
2005, NERFI established the DNA Academy, an
academic program designed to shorten the
conventional one-on-one mentor training programs
of forensic scientists from one year to six
months, with dedicated advanced forensic
training facility, university-approved
curriculum, and a staff of University at Albany
faculty and nationally renowned visiting
scientists. Students successfully completing the
12-week DNA Academy earn 12 graduate credits and
meet all mandated state, national and
international accreditation standards for
forensic laboratories. For more information,
visit
Forensic Molecular Biology.
University at Albany
Division for Research
The mission of the Office of the Vice President
for Research at the University at Albany is to
support the development and dissemination of new
knowledge in a world-class research environment.
The Division strives to create and advance
intellectually stimulating and rewarding
collaborations among faculty, students, research
partners, and clients.
