Eberly College of Science

Forensic expert speaks on 'Forensic Science in Major Cities'

A free public lecture, "Forensic Science in Major Cities: An Evolutionary (or is it a Revolutionary?) Approach," will be given by Michael Garvey, the director of the Office of Forensic Science at the Philadelphia Police Department. This event is the third of four presentations on forensic science and its use as a law-enforcement tool in Penn State's 2013 Forensic Science Lecture Series. The lecture is free and will be held on from 12:20 to 1:10 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, in 117 Hetzel Union Building Auditorium on the Penn State University Park campus.

In his lecture, Garvey will detail his account of the evolution of forensic science within major metropolitan cities. In addition to being the director of the Office of Forensic Science at the Philadelphia Police Department, Garvey is a panel member for both the National Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories and for the Convicted Offender DNA Databasing Laboratories. In addition, he is a subcommittee member of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods's Quality Assurance program and a chairperson of the Major Cities Chiefs Association's Forensic Science Committee.

In 1996, Garvey joined the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Washington, D.C. where he investigated all unnatural or undetermined deaths that occurred with the District of Columbia. In 1997, he joined the FBI in Washington, D.C., where he performed examinations of DNA and bodily fluids. In 1998, he was promoted to the position of supervisory forensic biologist and he spent the next five years assisting local, state, federal and international agencies in criminal matters through DNA-typing analyses. Garvey also provided expert-witness testimony in court proceedings, supervised a team of qualified biologists, and deployed with FBI Evidence Response Teams for complex crime-scene investigations. In 2003, Garvey joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served in several high-ranking positions.

In 2011, Garvey was selected as the Philadelphia Police Department's director of the Office of Forensic Science. In this position, he manages scientific and technology issues for the department, and he oversees the Forensic Science Center, providing direct support to law-enforcement operations involving homeland security, intelligence gathering, and counter-terrorism activities.

Garvey received a bachelor's degree in biology from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. He received a master's degree in forensic science from George Washington University and a doctoral degree in microbial forensics from George Mason University.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated January 9, 2015