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 from 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 supporter 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.
2025 AWARD WINNERS
At the 2025 Retraining Seminar, two Dr. Paul Ferrara Awards were bestowed. The recipients of the awards were Master Detective David Wood, Stafford County Sheriff Office and Special Agent Alison Fox, NCIRA, Yorktown, VA.
