Chaminade University of Honolulu

Forensic Sciences

Forensic Sciences Professor Recognized For Research on High-Profile Case

Carlos Gutiérrez Ayala, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Forensic Sciences at Chaminade, received the American Academy of Forensic Sciences’ prestigious Robert Gaffney Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Scientific Conference this spring.

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Gutiérrez Ayala received the honor for his case research and oral presentation, “Forensic Reconstruction and Forensic Taphonomy: An Experiment for a High-Profile Case Conducted for the First Time in Chile.” His work was recognized for its innovation, scientific rigor, and global relevance, marking a significant contribution to the advancement of forensic science research and practice.

The Robert Gaffney Achievement Award aims to promote ongoing professional development in forensic sciences and support emerging leaders in the field.

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“I feel very proud to receive this national award,” Gutiérrez Ayala said, adding that the research was linked to a high-profile case in Chile.

“Thanks to the forensic results of this case research, I was able to provide all the necessary answers for this case and present them to my colleagues at the AAFS Conference.”

Gail Grabowsky, Ph.D., dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said Ayala’s work “continues to inspire and elevate the field of forensic science.”

She added, “We are thrilled to see his case research receive the recognition it deserves.”

Students Learn with Cutting-Edge Forensics Tech

Forensic Sciences students at Chaminade have a new state-of-the-art tool for learning.

The SuperSpectral device, used to analyze physical evidence, is being made available to students thanks to an agreement between Chaminade University’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the product’s maker—Forenscope Scientific Technology, Ltd.

Carlos Gutierrez, D.F.S., assistant professor of Forensic Science, said the device allows forensic experts to visualize physical evidence—from blood to fingerprints to gunshot residue—at different wavelengths so that it can be more quickly and fully analyzed.

Gutierrez said the equipment will be used by Forensic Sciences students in different classrooms, laboratories and for research.

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“Having this technology in the Forensic Science Program is a huge improvement in how forensic sciences are taught because the students can have access and learn how to use this equipment and also search and identify real physical evidence,” he said. “Also, the students can be part of research and present their results.”

Forenscope notes the device has broad implications for forensic investigations, giving scientists a new way to analyze evidence and catch details that might be missed with traditional techniques. “This can help to solve crimes,” the company said.

Carlos Gutierrez, D.F.S., assistant professor of Forensic Sciences (center), poses with representatives from Forenscope Scientific Technology, Ltd.

Forenscope Scientific CEO Mr. Osman Eşki added the agreement will allow Chaminade to conduct research “using the best multispectral technology available in the forensic market.”

Gail Grabowsky, Ph.D., dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said offering students access to the advanced technology will ensure Chaminade Forensic Sciences graduates “will be ready to serve the community” and excel in their careers.

Additionally, Gutierrez will be offering free online workshops on the device.

Students Investigative ‘Crime Scene’ in Waikiki

The “crime scene” in Waikiki drew more than a few curious glances from beachgoers and passersby.

But it wasn’t police investigating the site. Instead, Chaminade University Forensic Sciences students—in official CSI gear—were the ones collecting evidence and documenting the scene.

The mock crime scene was set up in early April as a hands-on learning opportunity, allowing students to practice critical forensic skills.

“They feel the reality of being in an actual crime scene,” said Carlos Gutierrez, D.F.S., assistant professor of Forensic Science. “They’re applying all the skills they learned during the semester in a more specific and realistic scenario.”



Chaminade’s Forensic Sciences program is known for its practical approach, blending rigorous academics with real-world applications. The setup in Waikiki demonstrated Chaminade’s commitment to hands-on learning, giving students a chance to navigate complex investigative procedures under faculty supervision, Gutierrez said.

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The major in Forensic Sciences includes instruction on the techniques used for recognizing, documenting and analyzing physical evidence, reviews of the legal system and ethical guidelines that govern forensic sciences, and hands-on applications of the scientific method in a lab.

All Forensics Sciences students are required to complete a rigorous, 135-hour internship. Students have completed internships with a variety of entities, including the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner, police departments in Hawaii and Guam, and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Central Identification Laboratory.

To learn more about Chaminade’s Forensic Sciences program, click here.

Beach Transformed for CSI Simulation

Chaminade University Forensic Sciences students drew curious glances at a mock crime scene investigation held at Kaimana Beach this week. A field was transformed into a simulated investigation zone as students in full CSI gear took notes and captured crime scene photos.

Also in Campus News: Forensic Sciences Research in Spotlight

Organizers said the mock crime scene investigation allows students to put theory into practice. Participants practiced evidence collection and analysis along with meticulous scene documentation.

Chaminade Forensic Sciences students document a mock crime scene at Kaimana Beach.

Chaminade’s Forensic Sciences program is known for its hands-on approach to learning, blending rigorous academics with real-world applications. The realistic set-up in Waikiki demonstrated Chaminade’s commitment to giving students opportunities to learn by doing.

To read more about Forensic Sciences at Chaminade, click here.

Forensic Sciences Research in Spotlight

Throughout the school year, one of the ways Chaminade Forensic Sciences students learn about decomposition is by studying pig carcasses. The program has been bringing carcasses to a field on campus since 2013, allowing students to meticulously gather data on how the pigs decompose.

The resulting database, says Forensic Sciences Director David Carter, created such a wealth of information that it allowed for almost flawless predictions of how pigs would decompose in the tropics based on the time of the year, taking temperature, humidity and other factors into account.

Carter developed a formula based on that very data, a significant development for the field that he presented at the International Caparica Conference in Translational Forensics in Lisbon this month.

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Carter says it’s important to note that pig carcasses aren’t human bodies—so the formula isn’t transferrable. But his “little pig equation” does offer hope that a similar human-focused calculation could someday be within reach of forensic scientists, explaining decomposition in different climates.

“Humans have so many variables,” Carter said. “But if we do the same thing for humans, we can probably figure out how long people have been dead a lot better than we do now.”

Carter’s database findings are already providing a new avenue of research for universities or other institutions with so-called “body farms,” where human decomposition in the elements is studied.

Carter cautioned that developing such a formula would require partnerships with law enforcement, medical examiners and years worth of data. He added several universities have already sought him out to talk about the pig decomposition study, including one in Australia that’s establishing a body farm.

Carter’s pig carcass research, with co-authors, was published in the journal Forensic Science International last year and was based on 10 decomposition studies conducted on Chaminade’s campus.

Joined by some colleagues, Carter is also hoping to present on separate research findings next year at the 77th annual Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Baltimore. That presentation is set to focus on investigations with the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office.

Carter is an expert consultant for the office and is often brought onto cases to help determine whether findings during forensic investigations or autopsies are consistent with natural processes of death.

The presentation developed for the Baltimore conference, he said, incorporates data from 250 cases that offer insight into how authorities could use previous death investigations to inform future ones.

For example, he said, the database he is developing could allow a forensic investigator to more readily determine if a particular mark on a body is consistent—or not—with a natural death.

“You have essentially a reference database. In forensic science, you would refer to it as your knowns—like a database of fingerprints,” he said. “People underestimate the power of ruling stuff out.”

To read more about Carter’s research, click here.

Peer-Reviewed Paper

International journal accepts paper from Professor David Carter and colleagues

David Carter, Ph.D., literally wrote the book on forensic microbiology so, it was only natural that he was invited to co-author a published paper that will appear in Nature Microbiology. Completely comfortable discussing an issue that is often squeamish for many, the Forensic Sciences Program director casually speaks of cadavers and PMI (Post Mortem Interval) as if he’s talking about the weather.

“There’s definitely increasing interest in PMI (or the time that has elapsed since an individual’s death),” Carter says. “It’s critical information that could be key to solving a crime—or providing an alibi—in absence of any witnesses … or insects.”

Dr. David Carter holding his AAFS Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.
Dr. David Carter holding his AAFS Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.

The microbiomes associated with decomposing human cadavers are universal regardless of location or environmental conditions, the paper published in Nature Microbiology suggests. The findings show a conserved and predictable sequence of microbial interactions that break down organic matter, which could have implications for forensic science.

Decomposition is essentially nature’s recycling system. It is a fundamental process that recycles dead biological material to fuel biological processes, such as plant productivity and soil respiration. Microbial fungi and bacteria are predominantly responsible for decomposition, and although this process is well studied, research has focused predominantly on the breakdown of dead plant biomass. In contrast to plants, animal carcasses, including those of humans, are enriched in readily decomposable proteins and lipids, but their impact on biogeochemistry and community ecology are poorly understood.

In their research, Carter and his colleagues tracked the decomposition process in 36 human cadavers, which had been willed to science. The bodies were placed in three locations with either a temperate or semi-arid climate, with three cadavers placed at each location for each of the four seasons, and the researchers took samples of the cadavers’ skin and surrounding soil throughout the first 21 days postmortem. Their study found that decomposing human cadavers had a universal consortium of microbes, regardless of the location, climate or season, that are rare in non-decomposition environments and appear unique to the terrestrial breakdown of flesh.

“Jessica Metcalf of Colorado State and Rob Knight of UC San Diego and I initiated this research in 2011,” Cater says. “Our findings are a sign of success, but we’re still not quite there.”

With metagenome-assumed genomes and metabolomic profiling of soils adjacent to cadavers, Carter and his co-authors reconstructed a network of interaction that revealed how fungi and bacteria share resources as they metabolize decomposition products. Carter and his colleagues suggest that insects may serve as vectors that disperse these microbes from one decomposing animal to another.

According to Carter, using data on the microbial timeline of cadaver decomposition, combined with a machine learning model, they were also able to predict the time since death, which could have potential future applications for forensic science.

“We now have techniques that we didn’t have 20 years ago,” Carter asserts. “It’s also a lot easier for new science and other developments to get in the hands of lawyers and investigators, which makes for a stronger working relationship with criminologists to achieve criminal justice.”