Cal State East Bay Forensic Science Scholar to Present Research at Scientific Meeting of The Royal Society, London
- January 26, 2015
Cal State East Bay Associate Professor Keith Inman has been invited to present his research findings in forensic science at a conference of The Royal Society, London, in February.
The two-day scientific discussion, titled "The Paradigm Shift for UK Forensic Science," will address the imminent changes in forensic science, as the discipline approaches a pivotal moment in the current criminal justice system. Inman's presentation to - one of the most renowned scientific fellowships, and comprised of many of the world's "most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine" - ranks among the most prestigious given by a CSUEB or CSU professor.
Inman, who teaches in Cal State East Bay's Department of Criminal Justice Administration is one of a handful of U.S. scholars to be invited to speak at this prestigious conference for his extensive experience in change management, forensic-science research, and judicial influence. He joins a distinguished group of researchers from Australia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Inman's presentation, "Crime Scene Science – What Will the Future Look Like?" examines the physical evidence that is created during a violent act.
"Much, if not all, of the current research in forensic science is limited to the analysis and interpretation of items believed to be ‘evidence,' and therefore relevant to a violent event," Inman said. "But the reverse work is rarely undertaken: research dedicated to understanding how and what kind of physical evidence is produced during a violent act - with the exception of bloodstain patterns."
Inman claims that research into the production of such evidence would help in examining the crime scene. "Current practice relies primarily on using the physical evidence resulting from a violent event to assist in the identification of involved individuals or the prosecution of previously identified suspects," Inman said. "This research would move the use of physical evidence from confirmatory (is this the right suspect?) to predictive (what evidence would be created during this violent event?), resulting in the recovery of more relevant physical evidence. The use of science in the investigative process would thus occur at an earlier stage.
"The heart of such research might revolve around a ‘crime scene theater,' where specific acts - both violent and everyday actions - might be simulated and repeated to provide a ‘sphere of expectations' for the production of relevant physical evidence," he continued. "Thus crime scene science in the future might best be served not only by inventing new techniques to find and record evidence, but also by investigating the production, dispersion, persistence, and degradation of physical evidence resulting from violent events."
Dean of Cal State East Bay's College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Kathleen Rountree, emphasized the importance of Inman's presentation: "In appearing at The Royal Society conference, Professor Inman is being recognized as a leading scholar in the field, and is presenting alongside other international experts. In doing so, he brings positive notice to both the Department of Criminal Justice Administration, to the University, and to the CSU system. I am enormously proud to see his work recognized in this way."
Inman earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in criminalistics from UC Berkeley. He is a past Fellow of the American Board of Criminalistics, and is a current member of the California Association of Criminalists. He has worked as a criminalist in public and private forensic science laboratories, and consults with attorneys in civil and criminal litigation. He is co-author of the books "An Introduction to DNA Forensic Analysis," "Principles and Practice of Criminalistics: The Profession of Forensic Science," and numerous other scholarly publications.
The Royal Society conference is planned for Feb. 2-3. Recorded audio of the presentations will be available after the event online at: . The papers will be published in a future issue of Philosophical Transactions B.
About The Royal Society, London
The mission of The Royal Society, London, is to recognize, promote, and support excellence in science, and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. The society provides scientific advice for policy, and fosters international and global cooperation, education, and public engagement. The Royal Society holds public lectures, scientific meetings, and exhibitions throughout the year. For more information, go to: .