President’s Spotlight—July 2025

Summer is in full swing, and I hope everyone is enjoying the season and all it has to offer. Before we know it, fall will be upon us — bringing back-to-school excitement, the start of the always-anticipated football season (perhaps this will be your year!), and, of course, cooler temperatures.

But what happens in between, you may ask? One major milestone: the abstract submission deadline for the 2026 AAFS Annual Scientific Conference, which is quickly approaching on August 1, 2025.

Don't miss your chance to contribute to what is already shaping up to be an exceptional conference centered on the theme: Back to Basics: The Fundamentals of Forensic Science. More details about the scientific program will be shared in the coming months as we approach the February 2026 conference date. In the meantime, hotel reservations are now open! The meeting will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside — click here to secure your room today.

As preparations take shape, I'm excited to unveil the official 2026 conference logo, designed by Jase Hamstad, AAFS Digital Marketing Specialist. 

This emblem artfully illustrates the meeting's theme. The central cog represents the field of forensic science, while the 12 interlocking puzzle pieces symbolize the 12 sections of our Academy:

• Anthropology
• Criminalistics
• Digital & Multimedia Sciences
• Engineering & Applied Sciences
• Forensic Nursing Science
• General
• Jurisprudence
• Odontology
• Pathology/Biology
• Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
• Questioned Documents
• Toxicology

The puzzle shape reflects the critical interdependence of these disciplines in advancing forensic science and the pursuit of justice. The center resembles a camera lens — or the field of view through a microscope — highlighting our collective focus on core scientific principles and the meeting theme.

Each icon surrounding the cog holds significance. Clockwise from the top:

• Current AAFS logo
• Collaboration, global engagement, and interdisciplinarity
• Analytical tools and investigation methods
• Skeletal remains as vital evidence in many cases
• Digital evidence and ethical AI usage
• The collaborative essence of forensic science
• Original AAFS logo — a nod to our legacy
• DNA evidence
• Training, education, and research
• Practitioner wellness and mental health
• Latent evidence
• Standards, methods, and scientific rigor

Though we still have over six months to go, the AAFS Staff and the 2026 Annual Program Committee are hard at work to ensure an impactful, enriching experience for all attendees. As always, we encourage you to get involved — not only as attendees, but as presenters, volunteers, and active members. There are countless ways to contribute through committee work and service within your sections.

Our Academy's strength lies in its members. Your involvement leads to opportunities, opportunities lead to growth, and growth leads to success.

Stay tuned — early registration opens in September 2025. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!

Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)