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Engineering & Applied Sciences
During this year of 2021, the section chair has proposed to the E&AS Section members their adoption of the theme, "Forging fellowship." The intent of "Forging fellowship" is to encourage members to get to know more about one another's expertise and experience. It is to inform members through this greater knowledge that there are opportunities to bring fellow members into our cases and projects as complementary or supplementary experts. And, finally, "Forging fellowship" is being encouraged in order to strengthen our relationships as professional colleagues and friends.
Disciplines of Forensic Engineering
The Engineering & Applied Sciences Section members practice in more than a hundred disciplines, categories and topics wherein they engage in research, education, practice or management in one of the natural, physical or forensic sciences.
- Accident reconstruction
- ADA building & site accessibility analysis
- Aviation mishaps
- Bioengineering
- Building diagnostics
- Contaminated sites
- Crime scene reconstruction
- Electrocution
- Equestrian safety
- Ergonomics
- Fire dynamics modeling
- Forensic linguistics
- Highway safety crash analysis
- Human factors
- Improvised explosive devices
- Industrial & environmental hygiene
- Intellectual property & patents
- Machine design, finite system & failure analysis
- Manufacturer standards
- Marine & offshore installations
- Materials failure
- Mathematical modeling
- Mechanics of injury
- Metallurgical failure
- Mining & mountaineering accidents
- Nuclear forensics
- Patent disputes
- Pedestrian accident reconstruction
- Premises liability
- Product defects
- Radioactivity
- Reverse engineering
- Shale drilling/fracking
- Slip, trip & fall pedestrian accidents
- Stabbing, characterizing of tool marks
- System engineering & safety
- Unknown particles analysis
- Vehicle crash & rollover, static & dynamic testing, crashworthiness
- Weapons systems, trajectory, pressure & velocity analysis
- Witness statement analysis
Section Leadership
Mark I. Marpet, PhD, PE
Robert Dale Lynch, BArch
Sarah V. Hainsworth, PhD
Entry Level Categories
ApplyStudent Affiliate
Academy Requirements
Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program that would support a forensic science career.
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Student Affiliate must be fulfilled; and
- Applicants must provide proof that they are enrolled in an accredited college or university leading to a degree that would be used to support a career in engineering or an engineering-related science.
Trainee Affiliate
Academy Requirements
- Completed the educational requirements, but not the experience requirements for Associate Member
- Must be actively working toward completion of the experience requirements through training program/employment that supports a forensic science career
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Trainee Affiliate must be fulfilled; and
- Have less than four (4) years of experience with a baccalaureate degree, less than three (3) years with a master's degree, or less than two (2) years with a doctoral degree.
Associate Member
Academy Requirements
- Actively engaged in the field of forensic sciences and has made a significant contribution to the cause of advancing forensic science
- Earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a U.S. college/university accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies
- Has earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a non-U.S. college or university bearing equivalent accreditation
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled, and
- Applicants for the Anthropology Section will be considered in any area of anthropology (e.g., physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology) or a related field, with a demonstrated sufficient forensic science emphasis.
- Applicant must have earned a master's or doctorate degree in anthropology or a closely related field with a forensic science emphasis; and
- Submit for inspection a complete curriculum vitae indicative of active engagement, publication, pursuit of a career or other contribution to the application of anthropology to forensic science; and
- Demonstrate involvement in current anthropological assessments with a forensic science emphasis by providing:
- Copies of two (2) forensic case reports that demonstrate the competent application of scientific methods, techniques, and concepts in the context of the fields of anthropology; or
- Two (2) letters of reference. References must be from either two (2) section Fellows or one (1) section Fellow and one (1) full Member from the Anthropology Section of the AAFS. Referees must be well-acquainted with the applicant and must address the candidate's aptitude in and contributions to forensic anthropology.
- Above requirements can only be waived by a two-thirds decision of members present at an annual section business meeting. Since the Board of Directors approval occurs before the section business meetings, those seeking a waiver of requirements will be delayed approval of the application for one (1) year.
Promotion Categories
ApplyTo Member
Academy Requirements
- Attendance at the annual conferences and participation in the program
- Performs outstanding service in the execution of his/her regular responsibilities
- Contributions made to the AAFS or latest advancement as service to forensic science research
- Service in the area of forensic science education or training acquired throughout his/her career
Section Requirements
While serving as an Associate Member, the applicant must:
- Fulfill the AAFS Basic Requirement for Promotion; and
- Register and attend a minimum of two (2) annual meetings of the AAFS within five (5) consecutive years. The meeting at which the title of Associate Member was conferred, if attended, may be counted; however, the meeting at which the title of Member is being considered shall not be counted; and
- Meet the following requirements within six (6) consecutive years prior to the annual meeting at which the title of Member is being considered (not to include the annual meeting at which the title of Member is being considered):
- Author or co-author a minimum of two (2) scientific papers presented at AAFS Annual Meetings; or
- Publish two (2) articles in the Journal of Forensic Sciences or other peer- reviewed scientific journal; or
- Participate as an active member or chair on committees of the Engineering & Applied Sciences Section for two (2) or more years; or
- Any combination of two (2) of the above prior to the annual meeting at which promotion to Member is conferred.
NOTE: At least one (1) of the contributions must be from category a. or b.References not required.
To Fellow
Academy Requirements
- Attendance at the annual conferences and participation in the program
- Performs outstanding service in the execution of his/her regular responsibilities
- Contributions made to the AAFS or latest advancement as service to forensic science research
- Service in the area of forensic science education or training acquired throughout his/her career
Section Requirements
While serving as a Member, the applicant must:
- Fulfill the AAFS Basic Requirements for Promotion; and
- Register and attend a minimum of three (3) annual meetings of the AAFS. The meeting at which the title of Member was conferred, if attended, may be counted; however, the meeting at which the title of Fellow is being considered shall not be counted; and
- Submit for review:
- Copies of two (2) recent (within 5 years) case reports; or
- Copies of two (2) first or second authored publications; or
- Copies of two (2) evidences of teaching or other contributions to applied anthropology with a forensic emphasis.
NOTE: Proof of activity from a, b, or c must have occurred since being elected to Member.
References not required.
All AAFS Sections
There are 11 different disciplines of forensics that have been organized into sections that make up our membership of over 6,500 individuals from around the world.