Forensic Conferences: Reflections on INEF 2013 and Looking Ahead

Back in June we attended the International Network of Environmental Forensics (INEF) Conference 2013 held at Penn State. We saw the distinguished Dr. George Frame present a lecture on PCBs (see link for a summary of a related talk). We attended presentations on growing applications of different analytical techniques;  remediation and detection of persistent contaminants; and our own John Goreham presented a case study on Methane Vapor Intrusion, which will be published in the conference proceedings in 2014 by the Royal Society of Chemistry.


Looking back, it was an enlightening conference and overall a positive experience, which has us looking forward to INEF 2014!

As a professional you likely already know the value of attending a conference is to:

• Network and forge new partnerships
• Open the door for potential work
• Learn something new; find out what’s hot in your field
• Showcase your expertise, and contribute to your field
• And of course, visit a cool place!

As an expert witness, it is just as important. Expert witnessing can often begin as an isolated experience if you’re just getting into the field on your own – conferences are a great way to connect you with similar minded people. In addition to attending the conferences in your discipline, you’ll also want to attend conferences that contain a forensics component. These forums provide an opportunity to meet other experts, potentially interact with lawyers, find out what’s happening in the sphere of science and the law, listen to case studies, and present your work. We strongly recommend that you attend both conferences in your discipline and those conferences directly related to forensics; both offer unique and valuable opportunities for your professional advancement.

Fortunately, today there are a number of conferences dedicated specifically to forensics – we have listed several examples below.  In addition, conferences in your field may even have special sessions or tracks devoted to forensics, so you don’t have to do double duty. For example we have also listed a few related to environmental issues.

Forensic Science Conferences

66th American Academy of Forensic Science

• Date: February 17-22, 2014
• Location: Seattle, Washington

American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

• Date: October 24-27, 2013
• Location: San Diego, California 

American Psychology-Law Society

• Date: March 6-8, 2014
• Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

AICPA Forensic & Valuation Services Conference

• Date: November 10-12, 2013
• Las Vegas, Nevada

Society of Forensic Toxicologists Meeting

• Date: October 28 to November 1, 2013
• Location: Orlando, Florida

54th Conference on Audio Forensics

• Date: June 12-14, 2014
• Location: London, UK

Environmental Professional Conferences

29th Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy

• Date: October 21-24, 2013
• Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

24th Annual International Conference on Soil, Water, Energy, and Air

• Date: March 17-20, 2014
• Location: Marriott Mission Valley, San Diego, California

34th SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) North America Annual Meeting

• Date: November 17-21, 2013
• Location: Nashville, TN

Shale Energy Engineering Conference

• Date: July 21-23, 2014 
• Location: Pittsburgh, PA

International Network of Environmental Forensics

• Date: August, 2014 
• Location: Cambridge, UK

Submitted by Kate McMahon, Research Associate