Dr. Ken Furton is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and Director of the International Forensic Research Institute at Florida International University (FIU). He received a B.S. in Forensic Science at the University of Central Florida in 1983, a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at Wayne State University in 1986 and completed post-doctoral studies in Nuclear Chemistry at the University of Wales, Swansea in 1988 before becoming a faculty member at FIU.
Since then, he has directed the research of scores of undergraduate and graduate students and is the author or co-author of more than 300 publications and presentations. Professor Furton's research program has focused on forensic science and separation science including the development of novel sample preparation methods prior to chromatographic analysis. Recent work includes studying the chemical basis of detector dog alerts to forensic specimens. He has courtroom experience testifying in county and federal court in areas including drug analysis and the use of canines as chemical detectors.
He and his wife, Debby, have been married for 13 years. They are parents of surviving triplets, Courtney and Robert, born at 26 weeks gestation in 1994.
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About the book
Advances in arson detection tools and techniques increase the importance of scientific evidence in related court proceedings. In order to assemble an airtight case, you need a resource that assists in properly conducting the chemical analysis and interpretation of physical evidence found at scenes of suspected arson.
Analysis and Interpretation of Fire Scene Evidence introduces the techniques that determine the presence of ignitable liquid residues (ILRs) at fire scenes. It bridges the disciplines of investigation and forensic chemistry, enabling effective communication during critical periods of evidence detection, collection, packaging, and transport. The initial chapters are written from an investigator's perspective, allowing forensic specialists to understand the dynamics, ignition, heat transfer, and investigations. Later chapters include an examination of laboratory facilities, equipment, and procedures that are essential to organizing a new lab or upgrading an existing one.
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Dr. José R. Almirall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the Associate Director of the International Forensic Research Institute and the Director of the Graduate Program in Forensic Science at Florida International University in Miami, Florida . He received a B.S. in Chemistry form Florida International University, a M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Pure and Applied Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland . He was a practicing forensic scientist at the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Laboratory in Miami, Florida for 12 years prior to his academic appointment in 1998.
Dr. Almirall has testified in over 100 criminal trials as an expert witness in the areas of drugs, trace evidence and arson evidence analyses. Dr. Almirall has authored or co-authored over 40 publications in the field of analytical chemistry and forensic chemistry and has presented over 190 papers and workshops in the U.S., Europe, Central America, Australia and Japan . The interests of his research group include the development of analytical methods for the detection and analysis of arson evidence, materials characterizations by a variety of methods and new applications of Mass Spectrometry in Forensic Science.
Dr. Almirall and his wife Susanne have been married for 20 years and have three children, Amanda, Joseph and Benjamin.
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