Our Community Continues to Grow

Abstract

COFSE held its first Forensic Science Week Workshop on September 24, 2021. Dr. Gina LondinoSmolar, COFSE President-Elect, and Dr. Karen Scott, COFSE President, organized and moderated the workshop and introduced the speakers. The speakers included several contributors to the Journal. Kelly Elkins from Towson University kicked off the workshop with her talk entitled, “Engaging Students in the Classroom: Active Student Learning.” Dr. Lorna Nisbet from Anglia
Ruskin University followed with an engaging talk entitled, “From Crime Scene to Court in a Virtual Setting.” Attorneys Jennifer Schmitz and John Mabry spoke on “The Use of Virtual Moot Court Scenarios in Forensic Science Education.” Mrs. Nancy Kochis from LaSalle Peru High School closed the workshop with her talk, “Outside the Textbook and into the world of the Forensic Expert: How Experts Can Influence High School Students.” The workshop was recorded and
COFSE members can access the recording by logging into the COFSE website.

COFSE has launched two new awards, the Outstanding Service Award and the Excellence in Forensic Science Education Award. Active members are eligible to win; nominators must be COFSE members. More details are available on the COFSE website (https://www.cofse.org/).

We are excited to highlight that this issue has a paper detailing an interactive online forensic DNA profile database, blend flex approaches and forensic activity kits for remote teaching, and relay-style format for trace evidence experiments in a laboratory course. Enjoy reading.