On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to introduce you to the Fredric Rieders Family Foundation, home of the Forensic Sciences Mentoring Institute and the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, and to offer my vision for the Foundation.
Through its expertise, experience and leadership, the Foundation will provide clarity to the community of practitioners and users of forensic science. The Foundation will offer specific programs to educate and train current and future professional forensic scientists. Training programs and materials will also be provided for attorneys and law enforcement professionals. We will develop and implement means of keeping the public informed on the general state of knowledge of forensic science and its standards of practice, along with the associated limitations. We will support research that aligns with our mission to train, educate and inform. Our vision is to be the recognized leader in providing structure and content to the education and training of forensic science students and practitioners, the members of the criminal and civil justice systems who rely on forensic science, and to be recognized by the general public as an objective source of information about forensic science. We will seek to carry out this mission nationally and then internationally.
The Board understands that forensic science holds a peculiar attraction and fascination for the general public. The Foundation will thus leverage its expertise and resources to design and offer forensic science- based programs that motivate and educate teenagers and their teachers, with a special focus on providing opportunities to members of communities that are demographically under-represented in the sciences and having challenging financial circumstances. The programs shall emphasize the following key elements in the development of high school students: work ethic, time management, oral and written communication and presentation skills, teamwork in a multi-cultural environment, information search, understanding the scientific method and reasoning, and modern, safe laboratory practice.
We endeavor to pursue these challenges because they are worthy goals for the field and particularly well suited for the Foundation’s unique expertise. For more than 12 years the Foundation has been home to talented researchers, practitioners and academics in the field of forensic science. I invite you to join us, as a prospective student, practitioner or friend as we help to elevate the practice and reputation of forensic science and use it as a tool to motivate young people.
Michael Fredric Rieders
Chairman of the Board