Amanda Sozer, Ph.D.

President of SNA International

Dr. Amanda Sozer is the founder and president of SNA International, which provides expertise, education, technology solutions and management for forensic laboratory and mass fatality identification projects. She has received much recognition for her invaluable contributions to the forensic industry during 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Apart from having extensive international forensics experience, she has also served numerous government departments in an advisory capacity. Dr. Sozer’s forensic expertise and dynamic leadership is the driving force behind SNA International’s success. Read More…

Accomplishments/Achievements

• USA: Expansion of forensic DNA programs in Louisiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts and California.
• Guatemala and the Kingdom of Jordan: Implementation of new forensic laboratory facilities in Guatemala and the Kingdom of Jordan. 
• Iraq: Currently working with a group of organizations on a 3-year State Department project to strengthen Iraq’s forensic DNA analysis capabilities by building university academic capacity. 
• Human Rights International Forensics: Forensic DNA consultant to Physicians for Human Rights International Forensics Program.
• Vice President, Human Identity Trade Association 
• Laboratory Director: Accredited by the New York State Department of Health and the former Regional Chair of the Parentage Testing Accreditation Unit of the American Association of Blood Banks-a prestigious organization that accredits relationship-testing laboratories worldwide. 

Career and Educational Background

• Hurricane Katrina, victim DNA identification efforts
  • Dr. Sozer also facilitated the Hurricane Victim Identification Expert Group, which provided expert advice and recommendations to the Louisiana State Police and the Incident Medical Commander.
• Technical Contractor, National Institute of Justice
  • DNA backlog reduction programs for no-suspect forensic cases and the convicted offender outsourcing programs. 
  • In addition, she facilitated and participated in the National Institute of Justice Kinship and Data Analysis Panel for the World Trade Center Victim Identification Program. She has also co-authored under the President’s DNA Initiative, Lessons Learned from 9/11: DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents.
• Associate Director, Fairfax Identity Laboratories, 1992
  • Managed all aspects of the laboratory operations for paternity, convicted offender testing and forensic casework.
• DNA Identification, Cellmark Diagnostics, 1990
• Ph.D., University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1989
  • Specialization in genetics and an emphasis in biotechnology.
• Rutgers University, undergraduate degree

Memberships

Dr. Sozer is a member of numerous notable organizations including:

• American Association of Blood Banks
• American College of Forensic Examiners
• American Society for Quality
• American Society of Forensic Sciences
• American Society of Human Genetics
• Human Identity Trade Association
• International Society for Forensic Genetics
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Philosophical Society of Washington
• Washington Academy of Sciences 

Resume available upon request.