Peter DeForest will present, “Lessons for forensic science from the O.J. Simpson case and other highly publicized cases.” The lecture will be Thursday, October 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. in room G21 in Ming Hsieh Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Peter De Forest is an internationally recognized forensic scientist. He is a former professor of criminalistics at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York where he has taught for 38 years. Prior to joining the faculty and helping to found the forensic science bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs at John Jay and the City University of New York, he worked in several forensic laboratories.

De Forest began his career in forensic science at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory, Ventura, California in 1960. He earned his undergraduate degree and doctoral degrees in criminalistics in 1964 and 1969 respectively, at the University of California at Berkeley, under Paul L. Kirk.

In addition to his university teaching and research activities, he also serves as a scientific consultant and expert witness for police departments, prosecutor’s offices, municipal law departments, public defender agencies and private attorneys in criminal and civil casework in the US and Canada. The consultation has included advisory panel membership on major case investigations in the UK.

For over ten years, dating from the inception of the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC), Professor De Forest served as the chairman of ABC Examination Committee, which was responsible for designing and administering certification examinations in a range of forensic science specialties.He is a past commissioner with the Forensic Science Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and was Criminalistics Section Chairman of the AAFS for 2006-2007.

De Forest is currently active as a private consultant.

For more information about the lecture, please contact Lori Britton at lori.britton@mail.wvu.edu.