RANDALL MURCH is the Associate Director, Research Program Development, Research Division, National Capital Region, Virginia Tech. He also holds Adjunct Professorships in the School of Public and International Affairs, College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is also a Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King’s College London, UK.
Following graduate school and brief service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Dr. Murch’s first career was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he was a Special Agent. He was assigned to the Indianapolis and Los Angeles Field Offices where he performed counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and other investigations. During his career, Dr. Murch was assigned to the FBI Laboratory as a forensic biologist, research scientist, department head, and deputy director at various times. Interdispersed with his Laboratory assignments were four assignments in the Bureau’s technical investigative program: as a program manager for complex operations planning, Intelligence Division; unit chief for a technology development and deployment group, Technical Services Division; squad supervisor, New York Field Office; and, deputy director, Investigative Technology Division (formally Technical Services Division). Between his last Laboratory assignment and his last technical investigative program assignment, he was detailed to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Department of Defense, where he was the director of the Advanced Systems and Concepts Office, where he led advanced studies on complex current and future challenges dealing with weapons of mass destruction. While in the FBI he created the FBI’s WMD forensic investigative program, served as the FBI’s science advisor to the 1996 Olympic Games, led forensic investigative aspects of a number of major terrorism cases, and initiated a number of new programs for both the FBI Laboratory and technical investigative program. In 1996, Dr. Murch created the FBI’s Hazardous Materials Response Unit, the nation’s focal point for the forensic investigation of WMD threats, events and hoaxes. Throughout his FBI career, he also was involved with extensive liaison at the national and international levels in furthering science and technology for law enforcement, counterterrorism, and national security purposes. He retired from the FBI in November 2002, after nearly 23 years of service.
From December 2002-December 2004, Dr. Murch was employed as a Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a leading Federally Funded Research and Development Center, where he led and participated in studies for the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities. He is still an Adjunct Staff Member at IDA. He joined Virginia Tech in December 2004, where he now works in the areas of life science research program development, systems biology, microbial systems biology, microbial forensics, and biosecurity and university strategic planning. He has or still serves on several advisory boards including the Board of Life Sciences, National Research Council; DTRA’s Threat Reduction Advisory Committee; the Defense Intelligence Agency’s BioChem 2020; the FBI’s Scientific Working Group on Microbial Genomics and Forensics and a new standing committee of the National Academy of Science for the Department of Homeland Security’s National Biodefence Analysis and Countermeasures Center. He has also been a member of or advised study committees of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, Defense Science Board and Threat Reduction Advisory Committee.
Additional FBI experience includes: Forensic Serologist, FBI Laboratory, 1982 – 1987, forensic casework ca. 1000 cases of violent crime; ca. 100 testimonies, several dozen crime scenes, method development and publication, and teaching; Research Scientist, FBI Laboratory, 1987 – 1988, member of first forensic DNA analysis research team in the United States; Section Chief (Department Head), FBI Laboratory, 1995 – 1997, senior executive for one of the main forensic casework departments in the Laboratory (domestic and international responsibilities) and forensic science research program, ca 200 personnel, oversaw the response to and recovery from several investigations of the FBI Laboratory and accreditation by ASCLD-LAB; initiated and oversaw novel national program for the forensic investigation of weapons of mass destruction terrorism, senior manager overseeing FBI Lab support of a number of large domestic and international terrorism investigations and special events (e.g., 1996 Olympics in Atlanta); Deputy Assistant Director (Deputy Director), FBI Laboratory, 1997 – 1999, expanded responsibilities from above, senior executive over two departments, more personnel and casework, research and domestic/international liaison activities; and Field assignment with the FBI in Indianapolis, IN (1980), Los Angeles, CA (1981 – 1982) and New York, NY (1994 – 1995).
Dr. Murch is a member of American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 1984-1988, 1997-1999; American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, 1996-2001; Member and Board of Directors, American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, 1997-2000; and National Institute of Justice DNA Proficiency Testing Panel, 1996-1998. He also served as the Designated Federal Employee on the DNA Advisory Board, 1996 – 1999.
Dr. Murch has extensive strategy, analysis and leadership experience in the design, development and implementation of advanced forensic capabilities for intelligence, counterterrorism and other national security applications and purposes.
Dr. Murch received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, his Master of Science degree in Botanical Sciences from the University of Hawaii in 1976 and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant Pathology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1979.