Priority Action Report

Chemistry / Instrumental Analysis 

Scientific Area Committee (SAC)

Jose Almirall, Chair

Feb. 14, 2017
Committee Leadership

Position Name Organization Term Email

Chair Jose Almirall Florida International 

University, 

Dept. of Chemistry 

and Biochemistry

2019 almirall@fiu.edu

Vice Chair Chris Bommarito Forensic Science 

Consultants Inc.

2019 bommarito@forsci.com

Executive 

Secretary

Lynn Garcia (LRC) Texas Forensic 

Science Commission

2019 lynn.garcia@fsc.texas.gov

2
Committee Members

# Name Organization Term Email

1

Carl E. Chasteen

State of Florida/Division of State 

Fire Marshal

2019 carl.chasteen@myfloridacfo.co

m

2

Chris E. Taylor

Defense Forensic Science 

Center- US Army Criminal 

Investigation Laboratory

2018

chris.e.taylor.civ@mail.mil

4 Eric B. Steel NIST 2018 eric.steel@nist.gov

5 Patrick Buzzini Sam Houston State University 2018 patrick.buzzini@shsu.edu

6

Scott R. Oulton

US Department of Justice, Drug 

Enforcement Administration

2017

scott.r.oulton@usdoj.gov

7

Stephen L. Morgan

University of South Carolina, 

Dept. of Chemistry and 

Biochemistry

2018

morgansl@mailbox.sc.edu

8

William Guthrie NIST

2019 william.guthrie@nist.gov

9

Bruce Houlihan

(QIC)

Orange County Crime 

Laboratory / Orange County 

Sheriff-Coroner

2017

bruceh@occl.ocgov.com

10

Hal R. Arkes (HFC)

Ohio State University 

(Emeritus)

2019 arkes.1@osu.edu

3
SAC Committee Members 

(subcommittee chairs)

# Name Organization Term Email

1 Vincent J. Desiderio, 

Fire Debris and Explosives

US Postal Inspection Service 

Laboratory 

2017

VJDesiderio@uspis.gov

2 Andrew M. Bowen, 

Geological Materials

US Postal Inspection Service 

Laboratory 

2017

AMBowen@uspis.gov

3 Michael Martinez, Gunshot 

Residue

Bexar County Criminal 

Investigation Laboratory

2018

mmartinez@bexar.org

4 Susan Gross, 

Materials (Trace)

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal 

Apprehension

2017

sue.t.gross@state.mn.us

5 Sandra E. Rodriguez-Cruz, 

Seized Drugs DEA

2019 sandra.e.rodriguezcruz@usdoj.gov

6 Marc A. LeBeau, 

Toxicology FBI

2019

marc.lebeau@ic.fbi.gov

4
Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis

• Forensic Chemistry Disciplines

• Recognize existing (ASTM) standards and help 

develop new standards:

• Fire Debris and Explosives - 10 existing and 1 new

• Geological Materials - 8 new standards

• Gunshot Residue - 1 existing and 5 new

• Materials (Trace) - 13 existing and 1 new 

• Seized Drugs - 10 existing and 1 new standards

• Toxicology - 1 ASB and 10 new standards

Total - 35 existing and 26 new standards 

61 forensic chemistry standards

(See handout of all Chemistry SAC standards)

5

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/sac-chemistryinstrumental-analysis
Chemistry SAC Task Groups (TG)

• Chemistry SAC – Education and Training TG (30 members)

• Chemistry SAC – Proficiency Testing TG (8 members)

• Subcommittee Task Groups

• Fire Debris and Explosives – 6 task groups (34 members)

• Geological Materials - 14 task groups (17 members)

• Gunshot Residue - 5 task groups (29 members)

• Materials (Trace) - 9 task groups (40 members)

• Seized Drugs - 6 task groups (23 members)

• Toxicology - 13 task groups (42 members)

Total - 55 task groups and 223 members*

*OSAC affiliates serve as TG members / OSAC members may serve on more than one TG

6
Research & Development Needs Identified

Seized Drugs - 2 projects identified

Fire Debris and Explosives - 3 projects identified

Geological Materials - 1 project identified

Materials (Trace) - 2 projects identified

Gunshot Residue - 5 projects identified

Toxicology - 4 projects identified

Total – 17 specific research projects identified for the Chemistry SAC

7

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-research-development-needs
8
Priority Action Report

Chemistry / Instrumental Analysis SAC

Jose Almirall, Chair

almirall@fiu.edu

Feb. 14, 2017