Biography
Michelle D. Miranda holds a PhD in Criminal Justice, forensic science concentration, from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; an MS in forensic science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY); an MPhil in Criminal Justice from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; and a BS in Biology from Manhattan College. Dr. Miranda is a diplomate with the American Board of Criminalistics and a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She worked as a Criminalist in the Trace Evidence Section of the New York City Police Department Crime Lab, and as both a Medical Photographer and a Death Investigator for regional Medical Examiner’s Offices in New York State. In addition to her work at Farmingdale State College, she is an adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Areas of Expertise (5)
Forensic Sciences
Tattoos and Tattoo Inks
Gunshot Residue and Shooting Reconstruction
Microscopy
Spectroscopic Techniques
Industry Expertise (4)
Education/Learning
Law Enforcement
Security
Chemicals
Education (4)
Manhattan College: BS, Biology 2000
City University of New York - John Jay College of Criminal Justice: MS, Forensic Science 2003
City University of New York - Graduate Center: MPhil, Criminal Justice 2011
City University of New York - Graduate Center: PhD, Criminal Justice 2012
Affiliations (3)
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- American Board of Criminalistics
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Languages (1)
- English
Event Appearances (19)
Microscopy and Microanalysis of Tattoo Inks
Inter/Micro 2015, McCrone Research Institute Chicago Il
2015-06-01
Microscopy of Tattoo Inks
Eastern Analytical Symposium, The Art and Science of Analysis Somerset, NJ
2014-11-01
Current Challenges: Information Communication Technologies for Human Rights Documentation
Build Peace Conference Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2014-06-01
Distance Determinations and Chemical Instrumentation for GSR Analysis Testing-Methods and Interpretation
New Jersey Association of Forensic Scientists, Michelle D. Miranda, Ph.D., Curriculum Vitae 4 A Shot in the Dark-Bridging the Gap between Violence and Detection Atlantic City, NJ
2011-06-01
Microanalysis of Tattoo Inks
Eastern Analytical Symposium, Celebrating Innovation in Analysis Somerset, NJ
2011-11-01
A Study in Soxhlet
Believe it or Not! Session, American Academy of Forensic Sciences Anaheim, CA
Detection, Investigation and Forensic Science in Comic Books
Believe it or Not! Session, American Academy of Forensic Sciences Anaheim, CA
The Forensic Analysis of Temporary Tattoos
Poster, American Academy of Forensic Sciences Anaheim, CA
Criminalists at the Crime Scene: Where Do They Come from and Where Can They Go?
Panel, American Academy of Forensic Sciences Anaheim, CA
‘The Evidence is on the Sheets’: The Microscopy and Microanalysis of Vaginal Glitter Capsules
Invited Speaker, Eastern Analytical Symposium Princeton, NJ
Detection, Investigation, and Forensic Science in the DC Universe
Poster, Comic Arts Conference, Comic-Con International San Diego, CA
Tattoos in Forensic Investigations
Office of Chief Medical Examiner of New York City (OCME NYC) Grand Rounds Lecture Series New York, NY
Redefining Crime Scene Investigation
American Academy of Forensic Sciences Baltimore, MD
The Microscopy and Microanalysis of Dyed Beaver Hair
Eastern Analytical Symposium Princeton, NJ
Criminalistics: A Tale of Two Futures
American Academy of Forensic Sciences Seattle, WA
Reid it or Not: A Case Study in the Perception of Deception Detection Techniques in Public and Private Sectors
Long Island Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Westbury, NY
Margot, P., Miranda, M., Crispino, F., Lucas, D., Roux, C., De Forest, P., Willis, S. Criminalistics Panel: The Questions of Forensic Science: Quintilianus Revisited
International Association of Forensic Sciences 21st Triennial Meeting Toronto, Canada
The Chemical Methods of Gunshot Residue Analysis
American Chemical Society-Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting 2016 Riverdale, NY
Forensic Science and the Amazing Multicolor Fur Coat: Microscopy and Microanalysis of Dyed Beaver Furs
Inter/Micro 2016, McCrone Research Institute Chicago, IL
Sample Talks (2)
Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Tattoo Inks
Discussion of the role of tattoos in forensic investigations and the analysis of tattoo inks in a forensic laboratory.
Gunshot Residue Analysis and Shooting Reconstruction
Discussion of techniques utilized in the forensic laboratory and at the crime scene to evaluate gunshot residues and aid in reconstructing shooting events.
Style
Availability
- Panelist
- Workshop Leader
- Author Appearance
Media Appearances (7)
Interview with Dr. Michelle D. Miranda
Evidence Technology Magazine online
2015-11-02
Interview with Dr. Miranda on her book, Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Tattoo Inks.
Professor Takes Us Inside the Work of Forensic Science and Crime Scene Investigation
"Big Ideas" blog, State University of New York online
2015-12-01
The forensic science behind tattoos and tattoo inks is the subject of a new book – Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Tattoo Inks (CRC Press) – by Michelle Miranda, associate professor in the Department of Security Systems & Law Enforcement Technology at Farmingdale State College, and a forensics consultant. She’s in the investigative trenches, and has strong opinions on how forensic science is portrayed on TV.
Microscopy and Microanalysis of Tattoo Inks
McCrone Research Institute - The Microscope Vol. 63 print
2015-12-01
Microscopy and Microanalysis of Tattoo Inks Michelle D. Miranda The Microscope 63 (4), pp 147 – 160 Abstract: In forensic science, the recognition of inorganic and organic pigments in human tissue can aid in the identification of charred, decomposed, mummified or otherwise unidentifiable human remains. In the fields of art conservation and cultural heritage, the characterization and archiving of organic pigments found in traditional tattoo inks can aid in future anthropological and archaeological studies of human culture and history. This research explores the application of microscopical and spectroscopical methods employed in the analysis of modern organic pigments found in tattoo inks. The aim of this research was to scientifically evaluate these inks by documenting their physical and optical properties with macroscopical and microscopical methods and identify the chemical properties of the pigments through spectroscopical analysis. Analytical methods included Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry (UV/Vis) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The lack of an established method for analyzing tattoo inks and a comprehensive database for comparing them were additional catalysts for this research..
Forensic Scientist Helps Fight Crimes
Manhattan College Alumni Magazine online
Forensic Scientist Helps Fight Crimes, Fall 2018.
How Tattoos Help to Clear up Crimes
Aargauer Zeitung online
How Tattoos Help to Clear up Crimes
Inkspector: The Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Ink
Inked Australia/New Zealand. Issue 45. print
Inkspector: The Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Ink
The Girl with the Forensic Analysis Tattoo
Innovate Long Island online
The Girl with the Forensic Analysis Tattoo
Published Articles (12)
The Microscopy and Microanalysis of Tattoo Inks
The Microscope
In forensic science, the recognition of inorganic and organic pigments in human tissue can aid in the identification of charred, decomposed, mummified or otherwise unidentifiable human remains. In the fields of art conservation and cultural heritage, the characterization and archiving of organic pigments found in traditional tattoo inks can aid in future anthropological and archaeological studies of human culture and history. This research explores the application of microscopical and spectroscopical methods employed in the analysis of modern organic pigments found in tattoo inks. The aim of this research was to scientifically evaluate these inks by documenting their physical and optical properties with macroscopical and microscopical methods and identify the chemical properties of the pigments through spectroscopical analysis. Analytical methods included Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry (UV/Vis) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The lack of an established method for analyzing tattoo inks and a comprehensive database for comparing them were additional catalysts for this research..
The Weaponization of Ebola: A New Risk in the Wake of an Outbreak?
Comparative Strategy
The Weaponization of Ebola: A New Risk in the Wake of an Outbreak?
State Intervention During Public Health Emergencies: Is the United States Prepared for an Ebola Outbreak?
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
State Intervention During Public Health Emergencies: Is the United States Prepared for an Ebola Outbreak?
Tattoo Ink: Chemistry, Culture and Criminal Investigations
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Annual, Vol. 1
Tattoo Ink: Chemistry, Culture and Criminal Investigations
The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice and a Nice Chianti
Rowman & Littlefield
2016-11-08
Contributed a chapter. One of only three films to-date to win Academy Awards in all five major categories, The Silence of the Lambs marked a sea change in horror films when it debuted, shifting the genre from teen slasher fare of the 1970s to the sophisticated psychological horror that characterizes acclaimed films today. Praised by some as the first true feminist thriller, it has drawn criticism from others for perpetuating narratives of crimes against women and demonizing its queer character. Regardless of the controversy, this film is a perennial favorite and even made it into AFI’s list of top 100 movies of all time. In The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice, and a Nice Chianti, editor Cynthia J. Miller compiles fifteen essays, contributed by authors from a wide range of disciplines, which are divided into three sections, each approaching the film from a different vantage point: “Situating the Silence” looks at the film in its cultural and historical context—as an adaptation, popular culture icon, and as an element in genre and character history; “Dissecting Evil” takes a closer look at portrayals of evil in the film, in both Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill; and “Minds, Hearts, and Body Parts” offers critical explorations of gender, patriarchy, class, Orientalism, and humor as lenses for continued contemporary analysis of this classic film. Written accessibly, this collection of essays also introduces readers to forensics, semantics, and the psychology of serial killers. The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice, and a Nice Chianti will be of interest to scholars and fans of horror, thriller, and crime drama films, as well as those interested in film history and the legacy of “Hannibal the Cannibal” in popular culture.
Reasoning through Madness: the Detective in Gothic Crime Fiction
California Association of Criminalists
Dr. Michelle Miranda
The article covers forensic science and criminal investigations in the tales of E.A. Poe and A.C. Doyle (Sherlock Holmes).
Tattoos and Tattoo Inks: Forensic Considerations
WIRES Forensic Science; Volume 2, Issue 1, Article e1360
Miranda, M.
Tattoos and Tattoo Inks: Forensic Considerations
Do You See?: Clues, Reasoning and Connoisseurship
Syracuse University Press
Miranda, M.
Do You See?: Clues, Reasoning and Connoisseurship in Finn, K. & Nielsen, E.J. eds., Becoming: Genre, Queerness, and Transformation in NBC’s Hannibal
Overlooking Forensic Evidence? A Review of the 2014 International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Global Security: Health, Science and Policy, 2(1) 10-2
Maras, M-H. & Miranda, M
Overlooking Forensic Evidence? A Review of the 2014 International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict
‘Sir William of Baskerville'
Rowman & Littlefield
Miranda, M.
‘Sir William of Baskerville’ in Sandberg, E. ed. The 100 Greatest Literary Detectives
Sexual Violence Perpetrated Against Women in India: The Role of Forensic Evidence
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 41(1-2), 95-107
Miranda, M. & Maras, M-H.
Sexual Violence Perpetrated Against Women in India: The Role of Forensic Evidence
Cultural Property Terrorism: Preventing the Theft and Destruction of Cultural Property in Museums and Cultural Sites
Security Management 60(11) 50-5
Miranda, M. & Maras, M-H.
Cultural Property Terrorism: Preventing the Theft and Destruction of Cultural Property in Museums and Cultural Sites
Courses (4)
Security Law and Policy
This course introduces students to the study of security law and security policies. Topics include crimes and offenses encountered by security personnel, application of criminal, civil and administrative law in the security field, employment liability, workplace violence and legal issues in security services. The course will also discuss the security policy formulation process. Students will learn how to develop security policy by incorporating federal regulatory requirements and business demands. Other topics examined are the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act, the Communications Decency Act, and the Communications Privacy Act.
Forensic Psychology
This course introduces the student to the study of forensic psychology, a discipline that applies psychology to the law and the criminal justice system. Topics to be covered include: the psychologist's role in the criminal courts, ethical dilemmas of psychologists working in the criminal justice system, psychological perspective on the nature of criminality and the investigation of crime, criminal profiling, the effects of psychological empirical research on the outcome of criminal trials, and the psychology of the police, witnesses, offenders, and victims. Other new research topics in the field, such as the use of brain fingerprinting technology to determine criminal culpability will also be explored.
Topics in Criminal Justice- Forensic DNA Technology
The course will introduce the student to photographic and video equipment and methods that are used for crime scene documentation and police surveillance operations, including forensic imaging analysis. The course will include a study of camera design and operation, lens selection and functions, role of light and illumination technologies, digital image editing software, and a review of the chain of custody procedures in recording and archiving images for courtroom presentation.
Topics in Criminal Justice - Advanced Forensic Investigations
This course will introduce the student to the methods of conducting a criminal investigation. Topics covered will include use of the scientific method, reasoning, and critical thinking in investigations, detection methods, crime scene investigation, and criminal profiling. Students will learn about interrogations and interviews, trial preparation and testimony, conducting arrests and legal matters concerning criminal investigations.