Core Principles and Practices in Forensic Anthropology: All Star Tour, Vol. 1
Primary Course Instructors: Dennis C. Dirkmaat, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Mercyhurst University; Heather Garvin, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Des Moines Medical University); Joseph T. Hefner, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Michigan State University); Nicholas Passalacqua, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Western Carolina University); Alexandra Klales, Ph.D. (Washburn University); Kyra Stull, Ph.D. (University of Nevada, Reno); Sara Getz, Ph.D. (Idaho State University); Erin Chapman, Ph.D. (Erie County Medical Examiner's Office); Christopher Rainwater, M.S. (New York City Medical Examiner's Office); Diana Messer, M.S. (DEPAA); Michael J. Hochrein, Special Agent FBI, Ret.); Luis Cabo, M.S. (Mercyhurst University); and Paul Emanovsky, Ph.D., D-ABFA (DEPAA).
June 3-14, 2019
$1,795.00
*Approved for 35 ABMDI continuing education credit hours*
Christine Lench
Adjunct Professor
Mercyhurst University
Pennsylvania State Police, Ret.
Christine Lench, Corporal of Pennsylvania State Police (ret.). Ms. Lench is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Applied Forensic Sciences. She is currently teaching forensic science and criminalistics. She started at Mercyhurst in the Fall of 2020, after retiring from the Pennsylvania State Police. Ms. Lench spent 26 years as member of the Pennsylvania State Police, enlisting on November 1994.
Originally from the Pittsburgh area, she was stationed in northwest PA in May of 1995. During her first years, she worked alongside members of Liquor Control Enforcement as well as the Vice Unit. Her assignments during this time included prostitution and drug details and other undercover operations, as well as age compliance details, nuisance, and unlicensed establishment investigations. However, her main assignment was that as a member of the patrol unit. Her primary functions were accident investigations, preliminary crime scene response and vehicle code enforcement, which included DUI investigations.
In 2009, she became a member of the Forensic Services Unit. Her primary duties included crime scene response, scene documentation, evidence collection at various types of scenes, ranging from criminal mischiefs to homicides. She also attended, documented and collected evidence at autopsies related to investigations. Additionally, she processed evidence recovered from scenes or postmortems for the development of suspected latent impressions and/or DNA. During that time, she began taking class with DAFS and working with (presently known as) M-FSRT. In 2013, she was promoted to the rank of Corporal and made supervisor of FSU.
In August of 2020, Ms. Lench transferred to the state police casino unit at Presque Isle Downs & Casino. Her duties there included investigating assaults, thefts, and criminal mischiefs. She was also a Peer Contact, responding to critical incidents scenes to be available for both members of the department and involved parties. Her duties including holding debriefings and defusings, ensuring that members and others were directed to additional resources after witnessing particularly stressful events.