Pennsylvania Game Commission Honors Late ESU Professor

Northeast Wildlife DNA

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on March 8, 2019, No Comments

On March 7, 2019 the Pennsylvania Game Commission donated a $250 check and a plaque in memory of Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences Jane E. Huffman, Ph.D. to East Stroudsburg University’s Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory.

The plaque reads “As director of the Applied DNA Sciences Center –Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory, Dr. Huffman will be remembered for her enthusiastic willingness to assist Pennsylvania Game Wardens in their efforts to solve wildlife crimes to the benefit of all Commonwealth citizens.”

Dr. Huffman founded the Northeast Wildlife DNA Lab in 2005.

The Lab provides services in the areas of wildlife forensics, population genetics, and vector borne disease research — specifically Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases.

Dr. Huffman became the first certified Wildlife Forensic Scientist in Pennsylvania. The ESU DNA Lab continues to service as the PA Game Commission’s sole source for wildlife forensic research casework. The efforts put forth by Dr. Huffman to establish the DNA Lab as a leader in wildlife forensics has set ESU apart from other PA State System of Higher Education universities.

The DNA Lab and Game Commission have been working together for over 15 years collaborating on wildlife research, wildlife management, officer trainings, and wildlife forensics. Nicole Chinnici, current Director of the Lab, was certified as a Wildlife Forensic Scientist in 2017 and continues to lead ESU efforts in wildlife forensics.