Qualifications for forensic science and conservation

Recently I came across the "Killian documents controversy" involving
Dan Rather and former President George Bush's military record.  I
was intrigued by the forensic investigation and the disputes
surrounding findings.  What was remarkable to me was the educational
backgrounds of the experts brought in to examine the documents. Most
had no formal degrees in any science or any specialized education at
all.  The principle person, Ms. Sandra Ramsey Lines is a former FBI
investigator with a B.A.  Then when I looked at her credentials I
found that she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic
Sciences. This seemed impressive until I went to their web site and
found that membership requires the standing of a current member and
passing a 100 multiple choice exam; that is hardly rigorous nor does
it cover complex issues of science.  This is followed by a take home
exam of certain situations to solve and an oral interview.

In the context of the amazingly exacting courses of study
conservators must undertake for 2 or 3 years of graduate study, to
earn the low salaries found in most museums is just unthinkable. It
seems to me we are missing a chance to compete for jobs in the field
of forensic science if these are the kinds of qualifications
necessary.  Perhaps our schools should look into this.

Niccolo Caldararo, Ph.D.
DIrector and Chief Conservator
Conservation Art Service


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:34
                Distributed: Thursday, January 13, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-34-009
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