In 2004 the VFSAAA started the "VFSAAA Crime Scene Officer of the Year Award".
In 2006 the name of the award was changed to the "Dr. Paul Ferrara VFSAAA Crime Scene Officer of the Year Award".
In 2021 the name of the award was changed to the "Dr. Paul Ferrara Award"
The "Dr. Paul Ferrara Award" is given out each year during our Annual Retraining Seminar.
Dr. Paul Ferrara was the Director of the Department of Forensic Science form 1985 to 2006. The Department changed names from Bureau to Division and finally to Department under his leadership. Under his direction in 1989 the Commonwealth of Virginia became the first state laboratory capable of preforming DNA fingerprinting analyses. He was a tremendous supported of the VFSA and the VFSAAA. Dr. Paul Ferrara was an Honorary Member of the VFSAAA.
In May of 2011 Dr. Paul Ferrara passed away after a long illness.
Award Guidelines and the current Award Flyer can be found below.
The Dr. Paul Ferrara Award is intended for a current Member(s) of the VFSAAA who, through their dedication and commitment, have performed outstanding work involving a particular case, or for a Member who has continuously excelled in the field of Crime Scene Technology.
2024 AWARD WINNERS
At the 2024 Retraining Seminar, three Dr. Paul Ferrara Awards were bestowed. The recipients of the awards were Detective Jennifer R. Shouse Pearman from the Henrico County Police Division, Investigator Christopher Levering from the Roanoke Police Department, and Master Forensic Specialist Karyn Buhrman from the Hampton Police Division.
Investigator Christopher Levering
Roanoke Police Department
Detective Jennifer R. Shouse Pearman
Henrico County Police Division
Master Forensic Specialist Karyn Buhrman
Hampton Police Division