Forensic Sciences

Out on a Limb

September 19, 2023

Elena Chen wants to help people walk again

Elena Chen and a fellow graduate student help an amputee with his prosthetic leg.

She vividly remembers the moment when she knew that she wanted to pursue her higher education in prosthetics. While a sophomore volunteer at Shriners Children’s Hawaii, Elena Chen ’21 witnessed something less than a miracle, as she describes it.

“I saw a young kid get a second chance to run again,” Chen recalls. “After putting on a leg prosthetic, he got up and I’ll never forget the smile on his face; it was awesome to see.”

Now attending the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics in Tampa, Fla., Chen is working towards her master’s degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P), a specialized health care profession that combines technical and clinical skills to care for patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders and/or patients who have a partial or total absence of a limb.

“I graduated with my bachelor’s in Forensic Science, which I really wanted a career in,” Chen says. “But when I learned about the field of prosthetics and orthotics, it personally connected with me because I know someone whose leg was amputated because of cancer.”

Prostheses (artificial legs and hands) and orthoses (braces and splints) enable people with physical impairments or functional limitations to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labor market and social life. The use of prostheses or orthoses can reduce the need for formal health care, support services, long-term care and caregivers.

“Prostheses and orthoses give people a second chance to perform activities that they once loved, like running, for instance,” Chen says. “When you lose your leg, you can quickly take a downward spiral into deep depression, which causes a persistent feeling of sadness and disinterest.”

Without access to prostheses or orthoses, people who need them are often excluded, isolated and locked into poverty, which increases the burden of morbidity and disability. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that Member States—to which the U.S. belongs—are responsible for taking effective measures to ensure personal mobility for the greatest possible independence of people with disabilities.

Elena Chen laminated a prosthetic socket during one of her classes.

They also have a corresponding responsibility to promote and ensure the availability of and access to mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including prostheses and orthoses.

As of June 2023, the CRPD has been ratified by 164 signatories and 187 parties, 186 states and the European Union. Members are thus obliged to ensure access to affordable, high-quality assistive products, including prostheses and orthoses. However, the World Health Organization estimates that, today, only 1 in 10 people in need has access to assistive products, including prostheses and orthoses.

Chen wants to change this.

From 2019 to 2020, Chen shadowed her mentor, Cameron Lehrer, an American Board Certified and Licensed Prosthetist and Orthotist, and owner of Prosthetics & Orthotic Associates of Hawaii, Inc, which prides itself in its creative and innovative approach to patient-centered care.

“I was a student apprentice responsible for taking casts and measurements,” Chen explains. “I was making prosthetic sockets, and really building my skills.”

Chen, though, just doesn’t want to learn about prosthetics and orthotics, she also wants to be able to translate the technical medical terms in Mandarin. This month, she received her X2 student visa and started her clinical rotations in Chongqing, China.

“I’m so excited,” said Chen, after learning about the approval of her visa. “Not only will I gain more experience in making prosthetic limbs, but I’ll also learn more Mandarin. Eventually, I want to be able to utilize my Chinese language skills in Hawaii to help people with their language barrier in a hospital setting, which is a scary experience.”

Due to return to Hawaii in December to visit her parents, mom Shanly Wu and dad Tommy Chen, the aspiring 24-year-old prosthetist and orthoptist is grateful for the experiential opportunities that Chaminade exposed her to while an undergraduate student, and taught her to be open to new ideas and to want to learn everything she can.

“Outside of classes, I did volunteer work and joined various student clubs,” Chen says. “I also completed the one-year Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, and I was the only one who went to Shanghai, China to study abroad. What I appreciate most is that Chaminade taught me the importance of community service and giving back, which is what I want to do when I get my board-certified license in ’24 or ’25.”

NCIS Special Agents in Hawaii

July 19, 2023

Chaminade Alumni Represent True NCIS Agents

They don’t go around pointing their guns at people. They don’t detonate bombs. And they certainly don’t solve major crimes in an hour. But, what five Chaminade alumni do help to accomplish is to keep Hawaii safe.

As special agents for the Hawaii Field Office of NCIS headquartered at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Chris Meana ’12, Pia Teves ’85, Tamara Kenessey ’16, Olivia DeQuiroz ’12 and Kay Een ’02 are tasked with monitoring crime, conducting polygraph tests, supporting criminal investigations, and providing analytical support and technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM).

They’re important jobs for sure. And for Meana, it has been a “life calling.”

Chris Meana, right, and Kay Een promote NCIS at a recruitment affair.

“When I attended Chaminade, I was really into my religious classes, and I thought that was my calling,” says Meana, an Intelligence Specialist with NCIS since 2015 who also acts as NCIS Honors Student Internship Coordinator, and is a member of Member of the Special Agent in Charge Advisory Group. “But then I served with the Hawaii National Guard and I refined my calling, wanting to make an impact in my hometown.”

For DeQuiroz, it was not so much a calling but a necessity that led her to the NCIS Hawaii Field Office. “I needed to pay for college so I applied for an administrative position,” says the Polygraph Examiner. “Then a job came up and I was encouraged to apply, and I passed a series of tests during the hiring process.”

Today, DeQuiroz provides counterintelligence, monitoring spies, terrorists and any matter that pertains to our national security across all branches of the military. She’s also involved with “Operation Keiki Shield,” which is part of the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that is comprised of a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing more than 5,400 federal, state and local law enforcement.

“Internet crimes are always challenging,” DeQuiroz says. “But we’ve managed to arrest more than 100 child predators in our Task Force in Hawaii.”

Olivia DeQuiroz administers a mock polygraph test.

With the nation’s strategic focus shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region, the NCIS Hawaii Field Office’s multi-faceted capabilities are even more in demand. Stretching from the Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean, the area is home to more than half of the world’s people, nearly two-thirds of the world’s economy and seven of the world’s largest militaries. And in the years ahead, as the region drives as much as two-thirds of global economic growth, its influence will only grow—as will its importance to the United States.

A former electrician with his family’s business, Teves started as a Technical Investigative Specialist (TIS) Agent in 1987 and became a Technical Enforcement Officer in 2014. He is now the sole provider of technical support for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as providing technical security for the entire Pacific Command.

“Before there was internet, I was looking at an actual bulletin board while I was on campus, and I came across this poster that read: Naval Investigative Service (NIS), Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Special Agent position. Overseas travel, Worldwide locations,” recalls Teves, whose official NCIS title is currently Technical Surveillance Specialist. “I had no idea what it was, but it sounded sexy so I applied. About nine months later, I was hired as an Agent.”

Pia Teves, wearing tank top, were on temporary duty travel to provide protective service for Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command during his official visit to Manila, Philippines in 2004. — Pia Teves, wearing tank top, and his colleagues were on temporary duty travel to provide protective service for Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, during his official visit to Manila, Philippines in 2004.

Often misperceived as a branch of the military, NCIS is not. It is, however, the federal law enforcement arm of the Department of the Navy. Comprised primarily of civilian 1811 special agents and a small cadre of active duty Marine Corps active duty investigators, NCIS has more than 14 field offices and over 190 locations. Its special agents are stationed worldwide in support of military operations.

With historical roots tied to the Office of Naval Intelligence, the modern NCIS was formally established in 1966 as the Naval Investigative Service. It was re-organized and assigned a civilian director in 1992, along with a name change to the now Naval Criminal Investigative Service. With this re-branding, NCIS also became a primarily civilian agency as an insulation against military command influence.

“We’re an agency of around only 2,500 members, which is relatively small compared to the major players, like the DEA, ATF and FBI,” Meana points out. “But our capabilities are well respected, and we are well known for our role in counterintelligence, protective service and force protection operations.”

Solving crimes and catching the bad guys, though, aren’t the only issues that the NCIS Hawai‘i Field Office faces. Integrating itself into the local community is vital, as well, which is why the team can be seen throughout the year at a variety of functions. Some outreach efforts focus on awareness and education, spanning across such topics as internet safety and sexual assault prevention to identity theft and cybercrime.

Kay Een flashes a shaka while in Baghdad, Iraq circa 2005.

A Special Agent since 2020, Kenessey deals with death investigations, child enticement, fraud, arson and all federal-level investigations that involve criminal and security matters with the Navy.

Upon learning that her mentor, Associate Professor Dr. Joe Allen, passed away in December 2021, Kenessey was saddened by the news. “Technically I wouldn’t be here if Dr. Allen hadn’t written a letter, and told me to check out NCIS,” Kenessey says. “I think Chaminade lost a valuable professor and mentor. As I said, he was an integral part of where I am today both academically and professionally.”

Kay Een, meanwhile, praises Chaminade for its welcoming atmosphere and for the experiential learning that helped her land a job with NCIS. As NCIS’ Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Een supports NCIS’ progression in the DEI arena by supporting enterprise initiatives to implement the best business practices, encouraging collaboration, and delivering proven solutions to nurture a ready and resilient, globally-engaged workforce. She was introduced to the NCIS Honors Internship Program while a Silversword.

“Much like my time at Chaminade, I believe there is great value being surrounded by people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives,” says Een, who is now in her 20^th year with NCIS. “Being in a place that fosters diversity through inclusion is key to growing an innovative and agile workforce.”

As far as the authenticity of CBS’ popular NCIS franchise, Meana, Teves, DeQuiroz, Kenessey and Een agree that the drama doesn’t always get it right. “We have a close relationship with the show, and we’ve worked with them closely,” Meana says. “They try to stay close to reality, but they do add their own fictional twist.”

Ongoing Investigation

March 22, 2023

Chaminade director of forensic sciences and a hui of scientists research PMI

It may sound morbid, but David Carter, Ph.D., wants to figure out how long people have been dead. And he may just be able to do so, thanks to a $830,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In collaboration with colleagues from Colorado Mesa University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Northern Michigan University, Western Carolina University, Texas State University San Marcos and University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, the hui of forensic scientists is studying microbial communities with hopes of discovering their own forensics Holy Grail.

“What’s the first question that a loved one asks after a death, ‘When did he or she die?’” Carter asks rhetorically. “There’s definitely increasing interest in PMI (Post-Mortem Interval or the time that has elapsed since an individual’s death). It’s critical information that could be key to solving a crime—or providing an alibi—in absence of any witnesses … or insects.”

The word “forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis” that means “of or before the forum.” According to the Department of Justice, forensic science is a critical element of the criminal justice system. Forensic scientists examine and analyze evidence from crime scenes and elsewhere to develop objective findings that can assist in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crime or absolve an innocent person from suspicion.

David Carter holds his American Academy of Forensic Sciences Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.

And that’s the point of the NIJ grant, which seeks “to create and validate a microbial-based model to predict PMI across locations in the U.S.” Carter’s and his colleagues’ proposed applied research seeks to improve forensic science for criminal justice purposes by increasing knowledge about a potential new type of physical evidence (microbes), and focuses on developing a tool in which the microbiome present on skin or in nearby soils is used as physical evidence to estimate PMI.

“Jessica Metcalf of Colorado State and Rob Knight of UC San Diego and I initiated this research in 2011,” Carter explains. “So, this recent grant is part of a series of funding that has allowed us to continue our research. It’s a sign of success, but we’re still not quite there.”

In their previous research, investigators utilized skin and soil samples associated with 36 human cadavers collected daily for 21 days from three forensic facilities, which predicts PMI within approximately +/- 3 days over the first 21 days postmortem. As a result, this new research provides useful accuracy for crime scene investigations. In the current proposed research, the first goal is to expand the 36-body PMI microbiome database by collecting similar sample types from an additional 18 human cadavers from two additional facilities, which are in a climate type not yet represented in the PMI database. This additional collection will bring Köppen-Geiger classified climate types (tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar) in the database to include three of the major U.S. climate types.

“I’ll be traveling to Tennessee in February to lead a training workshop,” Carter says. “I’ll teach participants the proper techniques in collecting samples, which will then be sequenced at a forensic lab for further examination.”

An anthropologist major as an undergraduate at the University of Idaho, Carter didn’t learn about forensics until his senior year. But when he did, the Indiana Jones in him decided to attend Bournemouth University in England to pursue his M.Sc. in Forensic Archaeology, eventually earning a doctorate from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.

“I’ve always been curious about archeology, history and skeletons,” says Carter, whose interest in the “unknown” started in a movie theatre while watching “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” “I think of death and decomposition all the time.

“I even discuss it at home with my wife, Charlotte—who’s a Medicolegal Investigator with the City & County of Honolulu’s Department of the Medical Examiner,” Carter continues. “I live in the world of the fringe, but people tell me I look so normal.”

Alumna’s Forensic Science Passion Takes Her to NCIS

July 13, 2022

When Kay Een ’02 was a kid, she called many places home.

Her dad was in the military and stationed around the world, from Okinawa to Greece to Hawaii.

And with each assignment, the family would pack up, pick up and move someplace new. Een got accustomed to change, but she also found something that always stayed the same: her love of Patricia Cornwell novels. The crime author’s delicious tales of murder and mystery fascinated her.

And eventually, they would help drive her to a successful career in forensic sciences.

But first, Een said, she had some “growing up to do.”

Finding Her Passion

After graduating from high school, Een wasn’t quite ready to jump into college so she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the military. She chose the Navy and was trained as an air traffic controller. It was fulfilling, fast-paced work, but Een was looking for new ways to grow.

So when she was stationed in Hawaii, she decided to enroll at Chaminade University.

She initially got her associate’s degree. And then after leaving active service, she returned to Chaminade to continue her education and complete her bachelor’s degree. She majored in Forensic Sciences, rekindling her desire to immerse herself in crime scene investigation and evidence analysis.

At Chaminade, she also found a place where she could thrive as a nontraditional student.

“I loved the connections I made with professors. There was a camaraderie I was able to develop with them,” she said. “I also really enjoyed the fact that a lot of the younger students really looked up to us older students from a life experience perspective. We could offer our shared experiences.”

But what really set Chaminade apart, Een said, was its focus on hands-on learning.

She loved every minute of mock crime scene investigations and staged witness interviews, and couldn’t get enough of the time she spent in forensic sciences labs, either. “You really got to see the work through the eyes of police officers,” she said. “It was really fascinating—and I was hooked.”

That experiential learning continued with an internship that had Een over the moon.

A Career at NCIS

She got the chance to work with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for two semesters, and suddenly found her dream job. “They had me doing real work. We were going to crime scenes, collecting evidence, I went to autopsies,” Een said. “I got to know that this was really for me.”

Een loved the work so much that she applied to NCIS after graduation in 2002. But about that same time, as the U.S. bolstered military actions in the Middle East, Een was activated from the Navy Reserves and deployed to Qatar. She was there for about six months as a Navy air crew member.

After she returned to Hawaii, she got the call she had been waiting for: NCIS wanted to interview her.

She was hired in short order for the agency, and before she had little more than a moment to take a breath, she was assigned to general crimes and conducting investigations. “It was a great first tour,” she said. “I really got to sink my teeth into understanding what the agency and my role was all about.”

Een’s next assignment with NCIS was in Okinawa, a place where she’d lived as a kid.

She is also half-Japanese, and has family on her mother’s side in mainland Japan.

Een was assigned to the family and sexual violence unit and spent three years in Okinawa.

While there, she met her future husband, a Marine. They now have two children together—10-year-old Kenji and 7-year-old Cora. And from Okinawa, the couple was able to co-locate their careers to new locales. They’ve moved five times so far, including to Washington, D.C. and back to Okinawa.

Along the way, Een also received several promotions.

Inclusion and Diversity in NCIS

“That was the most amazing thing about NCIS. I didn’t have to choose between being a mom and promoting or progressing in the agency. At the end of the day, I was presented with the right opportunities and was able to progress my military career. That’s so important,” she said.

Een now serves as the chief diversity and inclusion officer for NCIS, a role that’s kept her passionate about her career and agency. She said her focus is on making NCIS the strongest it can be and attracting and retaining the best talent. “If you don’t have equity and you don’t have inclusion, you don’t have diversity,” she said. “We need to use this canvas of people we have to the best of their abilities.”

As she marks 18 years with NCIS, Een says it hasn’t all been roses.

About 10 years into her career with the agency, with her husband deployed, Een said she almost left when she felt as if she was being asked to choose between being a mom and being an agent. But a candid conversation with her superiors allowed her to stick with it—and she’s grateful she did.

Een added she doesn’t want that experience to happen to others.

“I was fortunate that the agency picked me up and changed my trajectory,” she said. “But I really think that shouldn’t happen to anybody else. It shouldn’t be luck or chance to determine whether or not I stayed with this agency. What if I hadn’t had that conversation? Where would I be today?”

And it’s that experience that got her interested in equity in the first place.

Een started serving as a member of the NCIS director’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion in 2014. And when her current role opened up, she immediately put her name in the hat. “This is what I want to do because I genuinely believe that our organization is wonderful and we do really good things,” she said. “Our director believes in cultural diversity and he believes in people. I want to support that.”

And if you’re wondering if Een is a fan of the “NCIS” TV series, too, the answer is yes.

The last time she was in the islands, she got to visit the “NCIS: Hawaii” set and “totally fangirled.”

She’s also excited she might have more opportunities to swing by. Sixteen years after leaving, Een will be moving back to Hawaii with her family and continuing in her current role with NCIS remotely. “It’s something that we’ve always said, that Hawaii was where we’d like to go some day,” Een said. “It’s always been a touchtone and now it’s happening. We’re thrilled.”

Dr. David Carter Recognized for Achievements in Forensic Sciences

May 27, 2022

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) recognized Chaminade University’s Forensic Sciences Director and Professor Dr. David Carter for his significant contributions to the discipline, to the broader community and to his students with the AAFS Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.

The prestigious honor from the organization, which has more than 6,500 members around the US and globally, is reserved for those who have demonstrated exemplary excellence in the practice, advancement and teaching of forensic applications in the life sciences.

In addition to Carter’s myriad professional accomplishments, committee members applauded his commitment to cutting-edge scholarship and his service as a mentor for young scientists in the field. Carter is chair of the AAFS Pathology/Biology Research Committee, which helps fund young investigator research proposals, and he volunteers to moderate educational sessions at annual academy meetings.

In a recent interview, Carter said he was moved and humbled by the recognition.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “I feel like I’m just now starting to do my best work.”

Carter joined Chaminade in 2012, and he said he’s proud of how the Forensic Sciences program has continued to grow and evolve over the years. “What I try to do with my teaching is tap into our program’s identity and communicate that in an informative and interesting way,” he said.

He added one of the biggest highlights of his work is teaching and mentoring students.

“They provide me with hope for the future. They provide me with a constant stream of rewarding experiences,” he said. “All that is fuel. It’s motivating and encouraging. I just find myself smiling a lot.”

He added, “Many of them are interested in making the world a better place.”

In forensic sciences, Carter said, students find a discipline that at its core is “all about taking care of people.” Carter’s work, for example, focuses on getting answers in decomposition cases—in which key clues to a person’s cause of death are harder to find. “I help police, medical examiners, the coroner … understand decomposition better so they can do their investigations better,” Carter said.

And ultimately, that provides families and loved ones with answers—and closure.

Carter added that while all the elements of his work have their own unique rewards, one thing that never fails to brighten his day is when he hears from a graduate who is doing well in the field. “They’ll send you a message and say, ‘you taught us how to do that thing in class and I used it,’” he said.

Looking ahead, Carter said he’s excited about advances in his field—and about how technology is allowing researchers to take another look at old challenges. “I’m just hitting my stride,” he added, when asked about his own career. Plus, Carter is in good company in being honored with the achievement award. Dr. Lee Goff, Chaminade’s former Forensic Sciences director, received it in 2008.

Dr. Lorin Ramocki and Dr. Katelyn Perrault Recognized for their Passion and Innovation in Teaching

September 24, 2021

Motivated. Innovative. Passionate. A trailblazer.

Those were some of the words used to describe this year’s faculty honorees of the Chaminade Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship awards, which recognize those going above and beyond to ensure student success in the classroom and contribute to their area of study in meaningful ways.

Dr. Lorin Ramocki, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, received the Chaminade’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award for her tireless work to create hands-on simulations that promote “learning by doing.”

The simulations—which ranged from a mock homeless camp on campus to a COVID vaccination clinic to an “unfolding case study” into a Hepatitis A outbreak—were especially vital during the pandemic because COVID made some community placements for Nursing students impossible.

“The COVID pandemic created a loss of clinical rotations in both hospitals and community settings and faculty pivoted to simulation on campus as well as supporting COVID vaccination efforts,” said School of Nursing and Health Professions Dean Rhoberta Haley, PhD, who nominated Ramocki for the award.

Haley said Ramocki ensured experiential learning continued for students during the pandemic. “Dr. Ramocki is a truly creative, innovative, motivated, and effective teacher,” Haley said, “who makes Public Health content and clinical experiences come alive for each of our Nursing students.”

Ramocki said she is honored by the recognition and takes joy in using her creativity to develop “engaging learning environments to give students the best experience possible.” She added that her teaching philosophy is rooted in “developing a community within the classroom.”

“My philosophy on teaching students is really embedded in trying to inspire them to find their own interests—and then connect it back to something in public health to help them enhance their understanding and how they can impact the health of their own communities,” she said.

Meanwhile, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ Dr. Katelynn Perrault was recognized with the 2021 Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award for substantial contributions to her field of study. The associate professor of Forensic Sciences and Chemistry was also recently honored with the John B. Phillips Award, which recognizes early career researchers who are making advancements in the field of two-dimensional gas chromatography, which involves separating chemicals present in complex samples.

Perrault is studying odors produced by bacteria associated with decomposing bodies.

Dr. Hans Chun, director of Education Leadership Programs at Chaminade, nominated Perrault for the honor and said she has been a “trailblazer in research” since she arrived at the University. “Kate embodies the concept that teaching and research are not mutually exclusive,” Chun said.

Chun also said her work has helped to “raise Chaminade’s scholarly profile.”

Perrault said receiving the award is a “landmark moment for me” at the University and has driven her to reflect on her work—and on the work of the student researchers she is mentoring. “Seeing their contributions to science recognized gives me great joy as a mentor,” she said. Perrault added that while many people think of research as something that’s done outside of the classroom, she sees it as something central to classroom learning. “Great things can be accomplished within a class when students are set with the task of creating new knowledge on their own accord. There is something about that experience that cannot be learned in any textbook.”