Christopher Williams

Chris Williams is a member of the RTI Center for Policing Research and Investigative Science focused on criminal justice response and reform. As a public health analyst, his work is heavily centered on law enforcement and laboratory-based research initiatives. Mr. Williams has significant experience leading training and technical assistance tasks for agencies managing response to sexual assault and other violent crimes. With an academic background in biological sciences and forensics, he is skilled in large-scale data collection and has laboratory experience processing research-based DNA samples.

Mr. Williams directs the coordination, development, and dissemination of a many practitioner-based resources, including webinars, resource briefs, virtual panels, podcasts, and in-person site visits. Additionally, on the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance (SAKI TTA) project and the National Case Closed Project, Mr. Williams assists agencies across the country meet their goals and objectives, implement multi-disciplinary best practices, and form sustainable models for criminal justice response reform. He also has played a pivotal role in survey finalization, dissemination, and data collection efforts of the National Institute of Justice-funded Digital Evidence Processing Efficiencies in Publicly Funded Crime Laboratories project. Mr. Williams serves as the project manager and a research assistant on the North Carolina Law Enforcement Use of Force Reporting and Analysis Research Project, coordinating financial and technical pieces for the development of recommendations on Use of Force reporting and analysis in North Carolina. During his time at RTI, Mr. Williams has also assisted on the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence and the Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices projects.

Prior to joining RTI in 2017, Mr. Williams worked as a Research Technician within N.C. State University’s Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, focusing on the validation and optimization of next generation DNA sequencing devices for high throughput methodologies with forensic science applications. His research has been presented at the International Symposium on Human Identification, local universities, and published in Forensic Science International: Genetics as well as Forensic Science International: Synergy.