Faculty

Joy Viray, M.S.

Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Laboratory of Forensic Services, DNA Technical Leader

Classes: FOR201A/B Forensic Science Fundamentals, FOR281 DNA Lab
VirayJ@sacda.org
Joy Viray | LinkedIn

Joy Viray is the DNA Technical Leader and a Criminalist at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services. She oversees the DNA technical operations and is responsible for ensuring that the laboratory complies with the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories. Laboratory casework includes Short Tandem Repeat (STR) testing, Y-STR testing, and Paternity. As a criminalist, she has examined evidence from a wide range of casework including sexual assaults and homicides for over 23 years. She has testified as an expert in DNA testing and body fluid identification over 70 times and is board certified as a Fellow of the American Board of Criminalistics in Forensic DNA.

Fun fact: The Biology Unit has monthly themed meetings, and I LOVE to dress up in ridiculous costumes.

Phil Hess, M.S.

Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Laboratory of Forensic Services, Criminalist IV

Classes: FOR240 Homicide Crime Scene Investigation, FOR298 Forensic Photography 
FOR201A Forensic Science Fundamentals
HessP@sacda.org
Read Hess' faculty spotlight

Phil Hess is currently employed as a Criminalist IV for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services where he has been continually employed for over 20 years. He is the Technical Lead for the Firearms and Toolmarks Unit, Impressions (Footwear and Tire Tracks) Unit, and the Crime Scene Response Team. He has extensive experience teaching law enforcement officers and forensic scientists from around the world, providing forensic training to state, local, and federal law enforcement. He currently teaches six different Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T) approved courses in forensic science for the California State Department of Justice and he is a P.O.S.T. certified firearms instructor and holds a certification with the International Association for Identification in Forensic Photography. Phil has taught various courses in the Criminal Justice Department at CSUS for 10 years and has been a lecturer for the UC Davis M.S. in Forensic Science for 8 years.

Fun fact: In my spare time I am a WSET level 2 sommelier.

Jeff Rodzen, Ph.D.

CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Geneticist

Classes: FOR 276 Population Genetics
Jeff.Rodzen@wildlife.ca.gov
Jeff Rodzen | LinkedIn 

Jeff Rodzen is originally from Massachusetts and attended graduate school here at UC Davis where we earned a Ph.D. in genetics in 2001. He was a wildlife forensic specialist for 12 years with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, the Forensic DNA Unit supervisor at the Sacramento County Crime Lab for 5 years, and is currently a research scientist in CDFW's Genetics Research Laboratory. He has had numerous research grants over the years and is a coauthor on many published genetics and forensics papers. Jeff has taught in the UC Davis Forensic Science Program since 2014, including the Forensic DNA Lab class and the Forensic Population Genetics course. 

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two kids. They enjoy RVing, camping, and exploring California's natural diversity. Their children are also active in their local 4H club.

Craig Triebold, M.S.

Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Laboratory of Forensic Services,
Supervising Criminalist

Classes: FOR208 Forensic Toxicology, FOR201A Forensic Science Fundamentals
FOR221L Forensic Instrumentation Lab
TrieboldC@sacda.org

Craig Triebold is a Supervising Criminalist at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services. He currently oversees the operations of the Toxicology unit and the laboratory’s Crime Scene Response Team. Craig has been with the Sacramento County DA’s laboratory since 2005 and has worked in Forensic Alcohol, Toxicology, Drug Chemistry, Ignitable Liquids, Fire Debris, and Crime Scene Investigations. He is dual board certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Criminalistics, in the area of Comprehensive Criminalistics, and as a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, in the area of Forensic Toxicology. Craig has been qualified to testify as an expert witness over 200 times in cases involving alcohol and toxicology analysis, the pharmacology of alcohol and drugs in the human body, fire debris analysis and interpretation, and crime scene investigation. Prior to joining the Sacramento County DA’s laboratory, Craig earned his B.S. in chemistry from San Jose State University and his M.S. degree in Forensic Science from UC Davis. In addition to working at the crime lab, Craig has been teaching in the UC Davis Forensic Science Graduate Program since 2015, with a focus on analytical instrumentation, forensic alcohol, toxicology, and drug chemistry.

Fun facts: I enjoy playing guitar and drums, and I’m learning German on Duolingo (currently with a 1,572 day streak!).

Karma Waltonen, Ph.D.

UC Davis Continuing Lecturer, University Writing Program

Classes: FOR218 Forensic Case Reports
kjwaltonen@ucdavis.edu

Karma Waltonen teaches a variety of writing courses at UC Davis, including Writing in the Health Sciences and Forensic Case Reports. She also teaches specialty courses on Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Margaret Atwood, and writing and performing stand-up comedy. She's the editor-in-chief of Margaret Atwood Studies and the recipient of the 2015 Academic Federation Excellence in Teaching Award.

Fun fact: After the publication of her first book on The Simpsons, Karma was invited to visit the studio twice!

Glendon Parker, Ph.D.

UC Davis Associate Adjunct Professor, Department of Environmental Toxicology

Classes: FOR278 Molecular Techniques
gjparker@UCDAVIS.EDU
Glendon Parker | LinkedIn
Parker Lab

Glendon Parker's laboratory seeks to expand the scope of forensic evidence. Difficult evidence types, such as hair shafts, trace evidence, bones and teeth, often have partial or no DNA present in a sample, but they will have protein. Parker's Lab uses proteomic genotyping to systematically and sensitively extract genetic information from these samples and use it to assist in forensic or anthropological investigation. 

Fun Fact: I am an Aussie Rules Football tragic. My team the Geelong Cats came in third this year.

Mike Chamberlain, J.D.

Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice 

Classes: FOR201C Forensic Science Fundamentals
Michael.Chamberlain@doj.ca.gov
Michael Chamberlain | LinkedIn 

Mike Chamberlain is a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. After graduating from Hastings College of the Law in 1996, he served as a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego and Contra Costa Counties before becoming a state prosecutor in 2002. Over his career, Mike has represented the People in trial and appellate courts statewide, including multiple arguments in the California Supreme Court and acting as lead counsel on three merits- stage briefs to the United States Supreme Court. In addition to his litigation duties, Mike serves as advisory counsel to the state’s Bureau of Forensic Services, and is a resource for the forensic science community more broadly. He writes and speaks often on topics related to scientific evidence. Mike has taught numerous law school classes and, since 2016, has been an instructor for the Forensic Science Graduate Program.  

For fun, Mike enjoys surfski and racing kayak paddling—esoteric to be sure, but effective delivery systems for essential water, wind, and workouts!

Nick Miller, Ph.D.

Illinois Institute of Technology Associate Professor, Department of Biology

Classes: FOR277 Forensic Genomics
njmill@ucdavis.edu 
Nick Miller | LinkedIn

Nick Miller teaches and does research in genomics, genetics and evolution. Much of his research concerns insects that are pests of agricultural crops, and he tries to understand how they are adapted to the plants they eat and to the technologies we use to try and manage them. In his teaching, he likes to mix traditional lecturing with hands-on experience working with real data.

Fun fact: I am unable to snap my fingers.

Ashley Hall, PhD

UC Davis Director, Forensic Science Graduate Program

Classes: FOR280 Forensic DNA Analysis, FOR281 Forensic DNA Lab, FOR201A/B/C
Forensic Science Fundamentals
asmhall@ucdavis.edu
Ashley Hall | LinkedIn
Read Hall's faculty spotlight

Dr. Hall earned her M.S. in Forensic Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Biomolecular Science, both
from the University of Central Florida. After graduate school, she worked in the defense industry before taking faculty posts in forensic science undergraduate and graduate programs at two Big 10, Tier 1 research universities—the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Illinois-Chicago. She teaches the DNA courses in the UC Davis Forensic Science Graduate Program and has an active research lab that focuses on the use of touch and trace-level DNA to inform activity-level propositions, and the development of a DNA profile database, FauxDIS, for use in educational and research endeavors.

Fun fact: I love to make spooky dolls for Halloween, and they have been known to haunt the Forensic Science Center around Halloween.

Christyann Darwent, Ph.D.

UC Davis Professor, Department of Anthropology 

Classes: FOR210 Personal Identification
cmdarwent@ucdavis.edu

Dr. Darwent is a professor in the department of Anthropology. She manages the Zooarchaeology lab and Comparative Skeletal Collection. Her research centers on animal skeletal remains at archaeological sites and how these remains can inform us on subsistence of previous humans, especially those in arid, arctic, and coastal environments. Learn more about Dr. Darwent’s research and view a list of her recent publications.

Fun Fact: I have flown in Bell 212 helicopters, Cessna float planes, DHC-6 Twin Otter and in the cargo hold of a C-130 Hercules.

Qi Zhang, Ph.D.

UC Davis Professor, Department of Environmental Toxicology

Classes: FOR220 Analysis of Toxicants
dkwzhang@ucdavis.edu
Zhang Lab

Qi Zhang's research group conducts field studies to gain insights into the chemical characteristics, sources, and atmospheric aging processes of airborne particulate pollutants. They also perform laboratory studies to understand the aqueous-phase chemistry of pollutants originating from combustion emissions. Additionally, they investigate the formation of photo-oxidants and the processing of organic species in aerosol liquid water.

Barry Miller, B.S.

Director, Bureau of Forensic Services, California Department of Justice 

Classes: FOR 268 Forensic Statistics, FOR207 Forensic Spectroscopy

Barry has worked in various forensic roles, with an emphasis in the US. He has extensive experience in forensic scientific disciplines and management as well as the analysis and interpretation of results. Barry is experienced in both traditional state-of-the-art investigations as well as modern techniques such as XRF, GCMS, LCMSMS, IR, Ballistic Imaging, DNA and Fingerprinting Systems/Intelligence Collection Techniques.