Forensic Entomology: Insects as Silent Witnesses

A career in forensic entomology may not be for the faint of heart, but the study of insects on the postmortem body can yield a wealth of information in criminal cases. Dr. David Rivers, renowned forensic entomologist, will provide an overview of the discipline and then get into ways in which insects have been used in medico-criminal matters, especially homicides, neglect and abuse, and toxicology.

David Rivers is Professor of Biology and Director of Forensic Studies at Loyola

University Maryland. He received his B.S. in Biology from Ball State University, a

Ph.D. in Entomology with a concentration in Insect Physiology from the Ohio State

University, and was a NIH post-doctoral fellow in Cellular and Molecular

Parasitology at the University of Wisconsin. He is a member of the North American

Forensic Entomology Association, Entomological Society of America, and American

Academy of Forensic Sciences. He also is co-author of the critically acclaimed

textbook The Science of Forensic Entomology and conducts research in several areas

involving necrophagous flies and parasitic wasps as they relate to legal

investigations.

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