Keynote Speaker

Thomas Callaghan (Chief Biometric Scientist, Federal Bureau of Investigation, USA)

Thomas F. Callaghan, PhD, is the Chief Biometric Scientist for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory’s Biometric Analysis Section and serves as the FBI’s senior DNA advisor for human identification. Dr. Callaghan initiated the FBI’s Federal Convicted Offender DNA Database (CODIS) in 1999, and the FBI Rapid DNA Program in 2008, and serves on the Scientific Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). Dr. Callaghan has been involved with the FBI CODIS Program for over 30 years. Tom has also represented the FBI on the Interpol DNA Monitoring Expert Group, G8 Law Enforcement DNA Technical Committee, and served for 6 years on the Organization of Scientific Area Committees’ Biology Scientific Area Committee. Throughout his 34-year career, he has been at the forefront of human forensic DNA analysis and standardization.

What is little known about Tom is that, in 1990, he applied for his dream job: to be a Forensic DNA Scientist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory. Dr. Steve Fain had recently joined the Lab in Ashland, OR, and Tom applied for a scientist position while finishing his Thesis on Oncogenes and Avian Retroviruses. He called Steve many times over the months-long hiring process, and ended up being one of three Molecular Biologist finalists. Although Tom didn't get the job, his application essays impressed the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) when he handed his USFWS Application to the PSP Serology/DNA Supervisor at the 2nd International Symposium on Human Identification (1991). PSP had a vacancy for someone to establish a forensic DNA capability at their Crime Lab in Eastern Pennsylvania. Tom filled that role for PSP in March 1992.

Over the next two years, Tom attended training at the FBI Forensic Research and Training Center in Quantico, Virginia three times. On each trip, the FBI attempted to recruit him for a research position, but Tom declined their offers because he wanted to work cases; at the time, casework was reserved for law enforcement Special Agent positions. In 1994, however, the FBI initiated a transition from Special Agent Forensic Scientists to non-law enforcement Professional Support Scientists conducting casework. Tom updated his USFWS essays and was hired in the first wave of Professional Support Forensic Scientists at the FBI.

The 1990 USFWS Application was responsible for Tom’s interviews with both PSP and the FBI. Though he didn't get his dream job with the USFWS, he has toured the Lab in Ashland, OR, and invited Steve Fain to attend SWGDAM meetings. Tom has applied recombinant DNA technology to forensics for over 34 years. Tom still follows Wildlife Forensic DNA literature, and is excited to attend his first Society for Wildlife Forensic Science meeting.

Plenary Speakers

Jim Cassin (Deputy Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, Northeast Division, USA)

Jim Cassin is a career federal agent who joined the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) in 1999. Rising from a student intern while at the University of Massachusetts to a Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Cassin has specialized in high-stakes multinational investigations.

Special Agent Cassin has led and supported several high-profile prosecutions focused on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, including a landmark case (U.S. v. Bengis) involving the massive illegal harvest and export of South African rock lobster. It remains one of the largest Lacey Act cases in history, resulting in millions in restitution. He also traveled to Mozambique and Tanzania, assisting in the successful prosecutions of FV Antillas Reefer and FV Tawariq 1 in support of efforts to combat illegal fishing vessels operating in protected waters. Additionally, he has led complex domestic investigations (U.S. v. Michalyov, U.S. v. Reeves, and U.S. v. Anchor) targeting commercial fishing fraud and wildlife trafficking. In his 26 year career, he has often incorporated forensic analysis, from digital to morphology to genetics, to support his investigations. He has also been a valuable consultant in the development of new lab methods needed to tackle enforcement challenges.

As a result of his investigative team work, Jim has been the recipient of three Department of Commerce Gold Medals (group) and 1 Silver medal (group). He has also been individually recognized by the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and in the Districts of Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and California.

Chad Demarest (Economist, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center)

Chad is a U. S. Coast Guard veteran, former fisheries observer and an economist with NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center.  He is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and Brown University. 

Mr. Demarest will be presenting on "Pallets, Priors, and Posterior Probabilities: Bayesian Sampling for Seafood Fraud Detection," where he will discuss a Bayesian framework for adaptive sampling protocols used to detect seafood species fraud. The session will cover how prior enforcement history informs sample sizes and decision rules to produce statistically robust conclusions while minimizing laboratory costs and field burden.