Congratulations and Appreciation to ASB Consultant Dr. Mary McKiel

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and the Academy Standards Board, LLC (ASB) would like to congratulate Dr. Mary McKiel on her appointment as the Chair of the Board of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI Board of Directors is comprised of representatives of the ANSI membership and is responsible for governance oversight of the issues, properties, and affairs of the Institute.

The AAFS and ASB would also like to thank Dr. McKiel for her dedication and guidance in establishing and supporting the ASB as the only Standards Development Organization (SDO) dedicated solely to forensic science. Dr. McKiel consulted for the ASB since its creation in 2015 and brought extensive knowledge from her long career in standards development to ASB.

In 2015, the AAFS created the ASB in part as a response to the National Academy of Sciences Report (Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward). The purpose of ASB was to develop and provide high-quality forensic science standards at no cost to all parties with a material interest. Dr. McKiel proved to be a tremendous resource in getting a new SDO up and running and accredited by ANSI. She trained Board members, staff, and Consensus Body members in how standards worked. She provided guidance on New Work Proposals (NWP) and advised the Consensus Bodies on how to improve NWPs and Scope statements. She developed and presented the "Standards: The Not-So-Missing Link" virtual training and "Ten Minutes to Better Standards Writing" webinars and participated in the ASB Workshop, "Forensic Science Standards Development and Implementation…You Want Me to Do What?" at the 2022 AAFS conference. She also revised the ASB Style Guide and Manual and consulted on ASB's ANSI audit.

In addition to her role on the ANSI Board of Directors, Dr. McKiel is an active participant in ANSI and represents the ASB on their Policy Committee. She was instrumental in creating the Forensic Science Legal Issues Forum in the spring of 2022, putting together the panel of speakers and moderating the Forum. She alerted the ASB Board about emerging issues and opportunities derived from ANSI meetings.

She is also a valued member of the United States Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the International Association for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 272, which develops standards in the field of forensic science. They are working on a five-part series of standards on the forensic process from scene to courtroom. She consistently attends the international meetings as well as the TAG preparation meetings, contributing guidance on the ISO and standards processes and procedures. The TAG often looks to Dr. McKiel for procedural guidance. She is one of three members to represent the ASB and reports to the ASB Board on ISO progress.

Dr. McKiel also co-authored published literature related to ASB: Howe, J., King, P., Roper-Miller, J., Berg, G., McKiel, M. – "Advancing the Practice of Forensic Science in the United States - The Role of Forensic Science Standards." Forensic Sci Rev. 33 (2): 102-106. July 2021.

The ASB celebrates Dr. McKiel's appointment to the ANSI Board of Directors and is eternally grateful for her leadership, expertise, and graciousness.  She has played an integral role in ASB's growth and success.