about the instructors

Brianne Breedlove, owner of Uncover Forensics, has been a latent print examiner and crime scene investigator working with various law enforcement agencies since 2009. She has had the privilege of presenting training lectures for organizations such as the IAI and many of its divisions across the United States, as well as for multiple study groups of forensic professionals. Ms. Breedlove is also an observing member of the ASB Friction Ridge Consensus Body, where she participates in discussions on standards and best practice recommendations for the friction ridge community. Ms. Breedlove has provided instruction across multiple platforms including conferences, webinars, and classroom environments. 

Dr. Casie Parish Fisher has over a decade of experience in training law enforcement professionals from all over the United States. She has a passion for making concepts understandable and applicable to current practioners working in the field. She also is actively engaged in making training content more interactive and hands-on for professionals and students alike. Casie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science from Baylor University, and a Master of Science in DNA Profiling. Her Ph.D. in Forensic and Investigative Sciences (concentration: Forensic Genetics) focuses on the ability to use direct amplification to develop DNA profiles from surfaces which have been processed with field techniques such as fingerprint powders and blood enhancement chemicals. Casie has previously worked as a property crime scene technician with the Austin Police Department and also as a DNA Analyst at the Texas Department of Public Safety CODIS Laboratory. Currently, she works as a tenured Associate Professor at St. Edward’s University where she is Chair of the Department of Forensic Science. She has also received several teaching awards including the DeLayne Hudspeth Award for Innovative Teaching. Casie has a number of publications including Evidence Management: From the Crime Scene to the Courtroom, and a workbook titled Crime Scene Processing and Investigations Workbook, 2nd edition which complements the text written by Ross Gardner. She is also involved in several organizations including the International Association for Identification where she serves as the interim Chair of the Science and Practices Committee for Biological/DNA Evidence, and Texas Division of the International Association for Identification where she has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and is a past President. She currently serves as a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Lone Star Journal. 

Heather VanDeGrift is a Certified Latent Print Examiner and has worked in the field of fingerprints for twenty-four years.  Heather works in the Latent Print Unit at Seattle Police Department as a Latent Print Supervisor and Quality Manager.  She started her career as a Jail Identification Technician taking prints in the King County Jail, before becoming a Tenprint Examiner, and then a Latent Print Examiner for King County Sheriff’s Office in 2001. In 2009 she took a 6 month leave of absence to work in Afghanistan processing IED’s for fingerprint evidence.  Heather became certified as a Latent Print Examiner through the IAI in 2009.  As a supervisor she still conducts casework, processes evidence in the lab, and responds to scenes.  She is a member of the International Association for Identification and the Pacific Northwest Division of the IAI, a committee member, former Board member, and past president for the PNWD-IAI, and an observer on the ASB Friction Ridge Consensus Body.  Outside of work Heather is a busy mom of 3 boys, amateur photographer, and hiker. 

Michele Smith earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Anthropology from Louisiana State University.  She is currently the Crime Scene Unit Supervisor at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  She is a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst (CSCSA) and a Certified Latent Print Examiner (CLPE) through the International Association for Identification (IAI).  She is an active member of the International Association for Identification (IAI) and is part of the Crime Scene Sciences and Practices Committee, the Louisiana division of the IAI (LA IAI), the Louisiana Association of Forensic Scientists (LAFS), and is currently a board member of the Crime Scene Subcommittee for the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science.  Michele shares her passion for the work she does by providing training seminars, presentations, and workshops for law enforcement agencies around Louisiana and the United States.  She has been asked by numerous agencies, professional organizations, and educational programs to speak about forensics, crime scene investigations, and latent prints.  She has testified and qualified as an expert in Print Processing, Print Comparison, and Crime Scene Investigation in the State of Louisiana.  Michele also participates in archaeological excavations of prehistoric Native American sites around Louisiana.