Forensic Science and Technology Commons^™

Differentiation Of Cell Populations In Saliva-Skin Mixtures Using Autofluorescence Profiling, Kara Fairfax

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

While DNA profiling of sexual assault evidence can identify biological contributors, determining the tissue source of recovered profiles remains a significant challenge, particularly in cases of suspected oral assault involving mixtures of epithelial cells. The initial goal of this study was to identify non-genetic signatures for differentiating two types of epithelial cells relevant to oral assaults, saliva epithelial cells and epidermal skin cells. To develop tissue-specific signatures, reference cell populations from saliva and epidermal skin surfaces were collected from 20 donors and analyzed using full spectrum flow cytometry.

Results from single-source reference samples showed that saliva-derived particle populations exhibited higher …

Implications Of Substrate Differences In Gunpowder Pattern Analysis: Skin Versus Blotter Paper In Forensic Reconstruction, Faith Duggan

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Tattooing, also known as stippling, is a phenomenon that occurs from excess gunpowder being discharged from a firearm into the skin, and presents as reddish-brown or orange lesions surrounding an entrance wound on the skin. Distance determination is a practice used in many forensic laboratories to establish possible ranges of distances between the muzzle of a firearm and a target, and stippling is commonly used for this comparison. Conclusions are made by comparing the unknown pattern to known distance patterns, and determining which one is most similar. In one case, a firearm was discharged at an unknown distance and there …

Interacting With Ideas: How To Engage Stem Students In Active Learning Of Theory Using Technology, Jessica Elizabeth Whitney, Keith Brian Morris

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

STEM education in the modern age has been subject to much reform – from the integration of technology to an emphasis on student-centered teaching strategies, such as active learning. However, in the wake of virtual and blended-learning environments, student engagement and teacher assessment of student success have been challenged. Tools such as KAHOOT! and iClicker have been promoted to foster an active learning environment while sometimes falling short in regards to student retention of course material. In light of this technological educational revolution, instructors need to be able to determine the most effective tools for their discipline to aid in …

Operationalizing Cyber-Routine Activities Theory For Senior Cybercrime Prevention: An Evaluation Of The Shield Training-The-Trainer Program, Kyung-Shick Choi, Insun Park, Mijin Kim, Ji Yae Bong

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Older adults face growing risks of cyber-enabled fraud, yet scalable, evidence-based prevention programs remain limited. Guided by Cyber-Routine Activities Theory (Cyber-RAT), this study evaluates the pilot implementation of the Seniors Harnessing Internet Education for Lasting Defense (SHIELD) Training-the-Trainer program, designed to prepare law enforcement officers and community leaders to deliver cybercrime prevention education to older adults. A key innovation of SHIELD is its integration of interactive game-based simulations, which allow participants to practice verification, refusal, and reporting behaviors in realistic cybercrime scenarios. Following the December 2025 pilot session in Boston, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants from law enforcement, …

From Authorization To Loss: A Blockchain Forensic Analysis Of Transaction-Level Mechanisms In Cryptocurrency Airdrop Scams, Chanwoo Shin, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cryptocurrency airdrop scams have emerged as a rapidly growing form of cyber-enabled financial crime, yet remain underexplored in empirical research. This study examines how transaction-level mechanisms and offender strategies influence variation in monetary loss in airdrop scam incidents. Grounded in Cyber-Routine Activities Theory (Cyber-RAT), the study conceptualizes financial harm as occurring within decentralized environments where users’ online behaviors, particularly transaction authorization, intersect with limited digital capable guardianship. Data were drawn from 112 validated airdrop scam cases reported on Chainabuse.com between January and December 2025. Blockchain forensic analysis using Breadcrumbs was conducted to reconstruct transaction pathways, identify exchange interactions, and detect …

Cybercrime, Vulnerability And Digital Guardianship: Opportunity Structures And Prevention In A Changing Online Landscape, Mike Toro-Alvarez, Amy Lim

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Modern Scam Typologies: From Pig-Butchering And Nigerian Advance-Fee Fraud To Crypto Airdrop Schemes, Katalin Parti, Sinyong Choi, Thomas Dearden

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Rapid advancements in digital infrastructure and decentralized networks have fundamentally altered the nature of contemporary cybercrime, making comprehensive empirical and technical analysis more crucial than ever. To address these challenges, this editorial summarizes the research contributions featured in this issue of the International Jour nal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. The included papers examine the structural on-chain dynamics of sanctioned pig-butchering operations, the representational production and AI-driven evolution of the “Nigerian scam” label, the critical transaction-authorization factors driving losses in crypto airdrop schemes, and the optimization of sentence-transformer models for automated Host Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) alert enrichment. Together, these …

Three-Tier On-Chain Transaction Architecture In A Sanctions-Linked Pig-Butchering Network: A Blockchain-Forensics Case Study, Matthew Stern, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

n October 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 29 Bitcoin addresses asso ciated with the Prince Group and Chen Zhi, providing an opportunity to examine the internal on-chain structure of a sanctions-linked pig-butchering network. This blockchain-forensics case study analyzes the group of 29 addresses using blockchain tracing, cross-plat form attribution checks across multiple commercial analytics platforms, exposure screening, and thematic analysis of transaction be havior. Because the case rests on OFAC designations and DOJ allegations, the traced flows are interpreted as patterns consistent with suspected laundering rather than adjudicated crimes; no fiat …

Attribution Post ‘Aura’ Loss: A Qualitative Discourse Analysis Of The Nigerian Scam Label And Fraud Attribution, Emaediong Akpan

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

In this essay, I employ qualitative discourse analysis of eleven purposively selected literature to examine how “Nigerian scam” became an established yet detached signifier of advance-fee fraud in global discourse. I do not treat this association as a reflection of offender identity or national inclination. Instead, the analysis traces how attribution is produced through representational repetition, institu tional uptake, and the circulation of familiar narrative cues. Using qualitative discourse analysis and an interpretive approach, this paper distinguishes among the socio-technical conditions that enable fraud, the institutional processes that stabilize attribution, and the semiotic dynamics through which national categories acquire durability. …

Confession Contamination And Dna Exonerations, 1989-2025, Brandon L. Garrett

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Forensic Lens On Aces & Trauma, Greta K. Cruz

Master of Arts in Human Services

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have emerged as a critical area of research in childhood development and the prevention of criminal behavior. The framework of this topic continually provides updated information on the impact of criminal behavior on children. Understanding the long-term effects of trauma on mental health, the influence of criminal behavior, and patterns of recidivism across the lifespan when children are exposed to a single form of adversity or multiple forms of adversity. This research aims to synthesize recent empirical data/findings of how specific ACEs, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to familial violence, and household substance misuse, …

Method Development And Optimization For The Detection Of Synthetic Cannabinoids In Hair Using Lc-Msms, Linda K. Obeng

Student Theses

Synthetic cannabinoids represent one of the most prevalent and high-risk classes of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), continuously evolving in structure and potency. Their widespread presence in seized materials and toxicology casework underscores the growing need for reliable analytical methods capable of detecting these compounds in biological matrices. Hair offers several advantages for drug testing, including a long detection window, minimal invasiveness, and resistance to adulteration; however, detecting synthetic cannabinoids in hair remains challenging due to their low incorporation levels and structural diversity. This study focuses on the method development and optimization of an LC-MS/MS technique for the detection of selected …

Fast & Forensic: Rapid Detection & Quantitation Of 30 + Emerging Novel Psychoactive Substances In Hair Using Lc-Ms/Ms, Seokjin Hwang

Student Theses

The continuous emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) poses a significant challenge for forensic and clinical toxicologists, due to their structural diversity, rapid turnover on the illicit drug market, and limited toxicological information. Hair is a powerful matrix for retrospective drug exposure assessment and monitoring NPS worldwide. Not only does it provide a broad window of detection but also a simple sample exchange amongst laboratories. However, the extraction of multi-class NPS in a single method remains an analytical challenge. Therefore, there is an urgent need for extraction techniques and analytical methods that are both rapid and capable of multi-class quantitation …

Eyewitness Consent To Be Video Recorded: Implications For Identification Accuracy And Confidence, Sarah Argüelles

Student Theses

Recently, a recommendation has emerged for law enforcement to record the full eyewitness identification procedure, recognizing the critical role eyewitness testimony plays in the justice system (Wells et al., 2020). However, in some states, such as New York, law enforcement is required to seek consent from witnesses before recording (Municipal Police Training Council & Division of Criminal Justice Services, 2017). Since this practice is relatively new, there has been limited research on how obtaining consent may affect eyewitness accuracy. It was hypothesized that obtaining consent to video record could be linked to a witness’s confidence in their identification, with higher …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Debunking Myths: Sickle Cell Trait, Crises & Sudden Death, Michael R. Debaun, Corey J. Hebert, Yvette Marie Miller

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Assessment Ai Software: Enhancing Polygraph And Investigative Interviewing, Alan Saquella

Publications

In the rapidly evolving world of security, law enforcement, and investigative sciences, professionals are increasingly turning to advanced technologies to supplement tried-and-true methodologies. One emerging innovation is behavioral assessment software, designed to enhance both preemployment screening and investigative interviewing. Acting as a form of modern human intelligence collection, these tools enable examiners and investigators to gather deeper insights directly from candidates and subjects, revealing behavioral cues and risk indicators that might otherwise remain hidden (Vrij, 2008).

Effects Of Rapid Shearing Depending On Environmental Factors: Acrylic, Modacrylic, And Polypropylene Fibers, Charles K. Jin

Student Theses

Textiles can often be found damaged in forensic casework, and analysis of these defects can yield valuable information. Different methods of fiber fracture leave behind varying alterations in structure on individual fiber ends, leading to their possible identification and connection to a case. Interactions between high-speed impacts and synthetic fabrics composed of thermoplastic fibers are classified as rapid shear or high-speed tensile breaks. In these situations, unique fiber end characteristics can form due to excessive heat generation that is unable to dissipate quickly enough to prevent fiber end morphology from changing.

This study aimed to explore how different external conditions …

Exploring Variability Of The Cg18562578 Methylquant Assay For The Forensic Discrimination Of Monozygotic Twins, Sydney E. Arnold

Student Theses

Monozygotic (MZ) twins possess identical DNA sequences, posing a problem for forensic scientists, as they are incapable of distinguishing MZ twins from each other using traditional DNA identification methods. However, the epigenomes of MZ twins will differ and might be used for their forensic discrimination. Here, we explored the variability of an assay previously developed by our laboratory that showed high discrimination potential for MZ twins using buccal swab DNA, cg18562578 MethylQuant. We measured precision at each step: bisulfite conversion, nested PCR, and qPCR, reproducibility, and repeatability. DNA methylation ratios were compared between two analysts carrying each step using the …

Further Investigation Of Environmental Factors On Rapid Shear In Fibers Of A Polyester-Cotton Blend, Daniel K. Oh

Student Theses

Rapid shear is a process that occurs in thermoplastic materials when they interact with a high-velocity impact. In forensics, these interactions would typically be from a bullet interacting with clothing that consisted of synthetic fibers. When the interaction occurs, bulb-like shapes appear on damaged fiber ends, distinguishing them from other kinds of damage. The reason why these shapes occur is varied, but one prevailing factor seems to be the heat generated by the impact.

In prior experiments, the factor of temperature being important to the formation of the phenomenon, different environmental simulations that affected the sample’s temperature were done on …