Jamie Spaulding
Jamie Spaulding is an assistant professor of forensic science in Hamline's Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. Professor Spaulding specializes in the interpretation of forensic pattern evidence, specifically fingerprint and firearm evidence; forensic intelligence modelling to extend the utility of forensic analysis beyond traditional case-by-case basis usage; and the development of software for investigative usage. Before coming to Hamline in Fall 2020, Dr. Spaulding completed a BA in Criminology, a BS in Forensic and Investigative Science, an MS degree in Forensic and Investigative Science, and a PhD in Forensic Science from West Virginia University.
While in graduate school, he developed two published open source software packages for crime analysis and investigative applications. Dr. Spaulding also worked with police agencies to develop intelligence networks for targeted disruption of organized crime. He has also conducted research on model for crime linkage, geographic profiling, the value of fingerprint evidence, and the error rates associated with combined analytical tests.
Professor Spaulding teaches Survey of Forensic Science, Forensic Fingerprint Examination, and Firearm and Toolmark Examination.
Professor Spaulding’s teaching style focuses on the critical thinking. Students are challenged to conceptualize and analyze the logical connections between/across ideas in a systematic manner directed toward the synthesis of information, evaluation of relevance or importance of the idea, and assessment of the one's own beliefs and reasoning regarding the ideas. Professor Spaulding asks students to apply the course content with practical exercise to generate and evaluate working and alternate hypotheses, addressing the question of “why” as it is the true form of understanding. This is crucial because it is fundamental to the process of investigation; where an investigator generates working hypotheses of what may have transpired, and through the assessment and interpretation of evidence discerns the most probable explanation (reconstruction) of the incident or events.
