Purpose: The Interdisciplinary Faculty Group in Forensic and Investigative Sciences (IFG-FIVS) serves to represent the multi-institutional and multidisciplinary expertise for research based information in forensics and investigative sciences. The IFG-FIVS is compatible with the academic degree and occupational training programs offered by various universities, institutes, and agencies within Texas.
Goals: The goals for the IFG-FIVS are to:
- Create a working environment that enhances the opportunities for scholarly excellence that produces collaborative, comprehensive, and relevant research programs within forensics that successfully compete for extramural funding;
- Increase diversification, recruitment, retention, and success of graduate students, faculty members, and research staff;
- Develop processes for personnel growth and mentoring at all levels in the research enterprise and its application to classroom teaching, student mentorship, occupational training, policy development and other assorted engagement activities.
List of Faculty:
Dr. Garry Adams
Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://vetmed.tamu.edu/vtpb/directorydetail?userid=1819|
Email: gadams(at)cvm.tamu.edu
Telephone: (979) 845-9816
Expertise in: Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, Infectious Diseases, Biodefense
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Jacqueline Ann Aitkenhead-Peterson
Assistant Professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://soilcrop.tamu.edu/staff/peterson-jacqueline-ann/
Email: jpeterson(at)ag.tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-3682
Expertise in: Soil and water biogeochemistry; Cadaver decomposition signatures in soil.
Available for Casework in the Area of: Analysis of soil under human remains
Dr. Vaughn M. Bryant
Professor and Director of the Palynology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://anthropology.tamu.edu/faculty/directory.php?ID=212
Email: vbryant(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-5242
Expertise in: Palynology (pollen grains) & Paleoethnobotany (use of plants by past cultures)
Available for Casework in the Areas of: or Not Available for Casework
Dr. Craig Coates
A
ssociate Professor, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/coates-craig/
Email: c-coates(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-458-1219
Expertise in: Genetic transformation systems of insects
Not Available for Casework
Dr. John Edens
Professor, Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://psychology.tamu.edu/html/bio–johnedens.html
Email: johnedens(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-6097
Expertise in: Forensic Psychology, Personality Assessment, Violence Risk, Psychopathy
Available for Casework in the Area of: Forensic Psychological Assessment/Consultation
Dr. Robert T. “Trez” Jones
Clinical Assistant Professor, Technology Management Program
Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development
College of Education and Human Development Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://directory.education.tamu.edu/rtjones
Email: rtjones (at) tamu.edu
Telephone: (979) 845-7398
Expertise in: Cybersecurity, Digital Ethics, Computer Gamer Psychology,K-20 STEM in classrooms
Dr. David Ragsdale
Professor and Department Head, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/ragsdale-david/
Email: dragsdale(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-2510
Expertise in: Insect Vectors of Plant Pathogens, Biological Control of Weeds
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Anna Linderholm
Assistant Professor and Director of The BIG lab (Bioarchaeology and Genomics Laboratory), Department of Anthropology College of Liberal Arts Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://anthropology.tamu.edu/anna-linderholm/
Email: linderholm@tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-6692
Expertise in: Ancient DNA, Next Generation Sequencing, Migration patterns, Domestication and Prehistoric cultures
Dr. Cliff Spiegelman
Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics
College of Science
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://www.stat.tamu.edu/directory-details.php?directoryid=63
Email: cliff(at)stat.tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-8887
Expertise in: Statistical aspects of forensics transportation, environmental statistics, chemometrics.
Available for casework in Firearms/toolmarks, compositional bullet lead, error rates for matching
Dr. Aaron Tarone
Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/tarone-aaron
Email: amtarone(at)ag.tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-862-1311
Expertise in: Forensic Entomology and Forensic Genetics
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Pete D. Teel
Professor and Associate Department for Academic Programs, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/teel-pete
Email: pteel(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-3253
Expertise in: Medical/Veterinary Entomology, Ticks & Tick Borne Diseases.
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Jeff Tomberlin
Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, Program Director
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/tomberlin-jeff
Email: jktomberlin(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-9718
Expertise in: Forensic Entomology, Insect Colonization of Decomposing Matter
Available for casework estimating minimum postmortem interval & period of insect activity
Dr. Victor Ugaz
Associate Professor, Kenneth R. Hall Development Professor
Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://www.che.tamu.edu/people/faculty/info?fid=11
Email: ugaz(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-458-1002
Expertise in: DNA analysis technologies
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Jason West
Assistant Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Texas AgriLife Research and Extension
Texas A&M University System, College Station
Website: http://essm.tamu.edu/people/faculty/west-jason/
Email: jbwest(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-845-3772
Expertise in: Forensic applications of stable isotopes and isoscapes.
Not Available for Casework
Dr. Lori Wright
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University, College Station
Website: http://anthropology.tamu.edu/html/profile–loriwright.html
Email: lwright(at)tamu.edu
Telephone: 979-862-7665
Expertise in: bioarchaeology; paleodiet; paleopathology; mortuary archaeology
Not Available for Casework