Virtual Forensic Science/CSI Camp

Instructors

• Steven Lee, PhD, Director

  

  Steven Lee is professor in the International Forensic Research Institute at FIU and Professor and former Director of Forensic Science at SJSU, has published over 50 research articles and book chapters and is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board DNA Consensus Body and a member of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science's Digital Multimedia Facial Identification Subcommittee. Lee served as director of R&D at the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory, MiraiBio Inc. Source Molecular Corporation and as Senior Technical Manager of Forensic Genomics at Illumina Inc. (now Verogen). His current research includes advancing forensic MPS technology and increasing success from challenging forensic samples and rapid DNA.

• Christine Goldman, MS

  Christine Goldman, Forensic Biometric/CSI Section Lead, has more than 10 years' experience in crime scene investigation with the Orange County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, is a fingerprint expert and trains law enforcement and military police in CSI techniques. She can address the processes and procedures of crime scene investigation (collect, photograph, document and preserve physical evidence; maintain chain of custody; analyze, identify and classify physical evidence), and discuss management and documentation of large crime scenes. Goldman holds an MS in Criminal Justice and a BS in Forensic Science with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Central Florida. She is a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst through the International Association for Identification.

• Bruce McCord, PhD

  Bruce McCord is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University. He received his BS with Honors from the College of William and Mary and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to entering academia, he worked briefly as an industrial chemist and then for nine years as a research chemist at the FBI Laboratory’s Forensic Science Research and Training Center. Since then, he has held academic positions at Ohio University and his current professorship at FIU.

  Dr. McCord has published over 115 peer-reviewed publications and 13 book chapters in forensic genetics, toxicology and explosives detection. His recent research interests include applications of microfluidics and nanotechnology in forensic science. He has given numerous presentations, workshops and webinars in the USA, Europe, Australia and Asia. He has mentored 20 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists, 22 PhD and 15 MS students in forensic science related projects. His research group has filed five patents from technology developed at FIU and has received over $5.7 million in research funding from federal agencies such as the NIJ, NSF, NIH, DHS, and TSWG, as well as various industrial sources.

  Dr. McCord is the Deputy Editor of the Journal Electrophoresis, and a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Forensic Sciences and the Journal of Forensic Chemistry. He is a current member of the Biological Methods subcommittees of the OSAC, and a member of the AAFS Opioid Committee. He has held positions as a member of the Forensic Science Advisory Board of North Carolina, the Forensic Science Programs Accreditation Commission of the AAFS, the Scientific Committee of the Latin American Symposium on Capillary Electrophoresis, and the Green Mountain DNA Conference. In 2008 he was presented with the Paul Kirk Award of the AAFS in recognition of his scientific contributions to the field of criminalistics.

• Mark Okuda, MA

  Mark Okuda began his science-teaching career in 1974 at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, Calif., where he taught Biology, Chemistry, AP Biology, Biotechnology and Forensic Science. During his 33 years as a high school science instructor, he was awarded the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Engineering Fair outstanding science teacher award, Santa Clara County California teacher of the year award, National Biotechnology Education conference Teacher award, East Side Union High School District, San Jose, Calif., Innovative teaching award in Forensic Science and has an educational patent “Secrets of the Rain Forest” marketed by Bio-Rad, Hercules, California involving chemical isolation of medicinal plant products.

  Okuda received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and a Master’s degree in the Natural Sciences from San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif. Prior to entering the field of teaching, he worked at Marine Science Institute in Redwood City, Calif., as an oceanographic researcher/educator and Marine World amusement park as an animal curator and scuba diver.

  Okuda is currently and adjunct professor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California teaching Human Heredity and Forensic Biology. In 2014, he co-authored a Forensic Science textbook marketed by Taylor and Francis publishing company. He also works as a science education consultant with high schools in developing biotechnology and forensic science programs.

• Sharon L. Plotkin, MS

  Sharon L. Plotkin is a professor at Miami Dade College and an expert in crime scene investigations including, photography, fingerprinting and bloodstain pattern recognition. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from Florida International University. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work, also from Florida International University, and an Associate of Arts in Psychology from Broward Community College. She is currently seeking a doctoral degree in education.

  Plotkin received her certification in crime scene investigations through International Association for Identification in 2006 and has been doing crime scene work for almost 20 years. She has handled thousands of cases ranging from burglaries to homicides and suspicious death cases. Sharon has received specialized training in various fields of crime scene investigations, including, bloodstain reconstruction, photography, crime scene reconstruction, fingerprinting, shoe wear casting and other topics. Sharon published a crime scene reconstruction textbook with author Robert Ogle Jr. and is currently working on a second textbook.

• Sara C. Zapico, PhD

  Sara C. Zapico is an instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and graduate program director of the Professional Science Master's in Forensic Science at Florida International University. She is also a research collaborator at the Anthropology Department from the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. She has been an external aAdvisor in forensic cases for the Civil Guard in Spain and an adjunct professor for the postgraduate course in Forensic Anthropology at University of Girona, Spain. Her research interests focuses on the application of biochemical techniques to forensic anthropology issues like age-at-death estimation and the determination of post-mortem interval.