The Ramapo College IGG Center is currently accepting nominations for the 2026 Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Award, to be awarded at the Ramapo IGG Conference in June 2026.

The Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to IGG in the past year. The award construes contributions broadly and can include significant cases solved; development of new techniques in IGG, advances in laboratory testing relevant to IGG, or law enforcement investigatory techniques relevant to IGG; work on policy, ethics, and law related to IGG; and more.

The award is not limited to IGG practitioners—any individual who has made outstanding contributions to IGG is eligible. Please submit your nominations here by March 1, 2026.

Previous Winners:

Dr. Richard “Ed” Green, 2025

Dr. Green, cofounder of Astrea Forensics and Claret Bioscience, was nominated for the 2025 Ramapo College IGG Award for his pioneering work as a professor, expert witness, and scientist pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with paleogenomics, population genetics, and computational biology methods in forensic work. Ed’s work has helped to identify the deceased, exonerate the innocent, and secure justice for victims of violent crime and will continue to impact the criminal justice system through his work validating direct SNP comparisons.

Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter and the Firebird Forensics Team, 2024

Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter and Firebird Forensics were awarded the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy award for their service in helping to clear the rape kit backlog in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. More than a dozen violent offenders have been identified thus far as a result of the efforts of the Firebird team.

Nomination Form: