Upcoming educational opportunities you can’t miss!

It has been a while since I have posted—too long—but other duties have been occupying much of my time. I would like to take a moment to tell you about three educational opportunities with which I am involved.

Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research

First, the Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research, which was announced last fall, has met with great success! We have recordings available for seven (7) past courses, and registration is currently open for five courses coming up this summer and fall.

This Saturday, 20 June 2015, Billie Stone Fogarty and Rick Fogarty will be teaching a course entitled “Verifying the Family Legend of Native American Ancestry.” Registration is still open, so don’t miss it! This is a great opportunity to learn from a nationally recognized speaker and her son, a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Click here to register.

Courses on various topics from other nationally recognized experts Blaine Bettinger, F. Warren Bittner, Donna Moughty, J. Mark Lowe, and Maureen Taylor are currently available for purchase in the Virtual Institute store. Future courses will be presented by Bettinger, Craig Roberts Scott, Angela McGhie, and D. Joshua Taylor, among others.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Registration for the 2016 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy also opens this Saturday, 20 June, at 9:00 am MDT (11:00 am EDT). Click here for more details.

I will be teaching in several courses this year, including Course 2: Researching New York: Resources and Strategies, coordinated by Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS; Course 3: Research In The South, coordinated by J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA; Course 11: Writing A Quality Family Narrative, coordinated by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D, FUGA; and Course 13: Advanced Evidence Practicum, coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie.

Perhaps most exciting for me, however, is my opportunity to coordinate my own course this year: Course 9: Solving Problems Like a Professional. This course focuses on practical problem solving skills used by professional genealogists, designed to meet standards of genealogical proof as defined by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Myself and all three of the other instructors are full-time genealogists, each with our own experience and professional focuses. The course will also have short homework assignments for the first three nights, allowing students to take advantage of the Family History Library and apply the lessons learned during the day.

Students for this course do not have to be professional genealogists or have any desire to be so. The lessons learned will be applicable to all research problems, during any time or place.

BCG Webinar Series

Last but certainly not least, the Board for Certification of Genealogists has finally made the leap into the webinar world, presenting webinars on a monthly basis—usually the third Tuesday of each month.

So far, I have presented one lecture, and we have had a top-notch lineup of other instructors, including Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA; “The Legal Genealogist” Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL; F. Warren Bittner, CG; James Baker, PhD, CG; Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, CG; Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG; and Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG.

Most of the recordings are available for viewing or download on a dedicated page on the BCG blog, on a pay-per-view basis. Click here for more information.

Announcing the Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research

For those of you who may have wondered why I’ve been so silent lately…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research to Offer Unique Opportunities in Genealogical Education

RALEIGH, North Carolina, 9 September 2014. Professional genealogists Catherine W. Desmarais, CG, Michael Hait, CG, and Melanie D. Holtz, CG, are pleased to announce the formation of the Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research. The Virtual Institute is a unique educational opportunity for genealogists of all skill levels.

The Institute will offer courses on a wide variety of genealogical subjects, providing vigorous year-round education for the genealogical community using a virtual platform. Each course will consist of a total of four 90-minute lectures, two each presented on consecutive Saturdays, extensive syllabus material, and practical exercises. Limited class sizes of only one hundred registrants per course allows for a higher level of class participation and instructor feedback than typically offered by genealogy webinars.

Courses are currently planned around the topics of genealogical writing, advanced methodology, DNA testing and analysis, and cultural, regional, or record-based research strategies.

Many of these subject matters—as well as the depth of instruction—have never before been offered in a virtual format and are ideal for genealogists around the world. “The Virtual Institute will allow genealogists who work a full-time job or have limited travel budgets to more easily advance their genealogical skills,” Institute co-administrator Melanie D. Holtz stated.

Registration for each course will cost $69.99 and includes digital video recordings of all four lectures, available within two weeks of the close of each course.

For more information on the Institute and to register for upcoming courses, visit www.vigrgenealogy.com and subscribe to the mailing list for updates on future courses.

UPCOMING COURSES

Michael Hait, CG, “Writing Logical Proof Arguments,” 1 November–8 November 2014

J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, “Preparing the Field: Understanding the Agricultural Records of our Ancestors,” 24 January–31 January 2015

Maureen Taylor, “Family Photographs: Identifying, Preserving, and Sharing Your Visual Heritage,” 21 February–28 February 2015

Donna Moughty, “Strategies for Finding Your Irish Ancestors,” 7 March–14 March 2015

Blaine Bettinger, “(Finally!) Understanding Autosomal DNA,” 21 March–28 March 2015

Billie Stone Fogarty and Rick Fogarty, “Verifying the Family Legend of Native American Ancestry,” 18 April–25 April 2015

Melanie D. Holtz, CG, and Melissa Johnson, “Genealogical Applications of Dual Citizenship by Descent,” 2 May–9 May 2015

Paul Milner, “An In-Depth Look at the Big Four Records of English Research,” 30 May–6 June 2015

Angela McGhie, “Digging in Federal Land Records,” 19 September–26 September 2015

SLIG 2014 Early-Bird registration ends on October 31, 2013!

The following press release was received from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy:

SLIG’s Early-Bird Registration ends on October 31, 2013! Ensure you get yourself a spot in one of the few remaining courses. The following courses still have seats left:

· American Research and Records: Focus on Families

This intermediate level course covers 19th-21st century U.S. records and strategies beyond the basics with a specific emphasis on researching families and individuals. Don’t miss a chance to spend a week with nationally known instructors Josh Taylor, from the Genealogy Roadshow; Debra Mieszala, CG; and Paula Stuart-Warren, CG. This course is certain to help you break down those brick walls!

· Credentialing: Accreditation, Certification, or Both?

Accreditation or certification? This course will explore both options. The topics will guide you through the processes of applying and determining which one (or both) are right for you. Spend a week with credentialed instructors who provide expert guidance and advice and who are available to answer your questions.

· Researching in Eastern Europe

Millions of people immigrated to North America leaving family and generations of ancestors behind in Eastern Europe. Descendants find it hard to trace their origins due to foreign languages, difficult records and multiple changes in the political landscape. This course brings together several of the most successful Eastern Europe genealogists to teach you the important information you need to succeed in such complex research.

· Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum

This hands-on course is an opportunity for advanced genealogist to put their research skills into practice. Participants will work on at least five complex genealogical research problems—a new one each day. There is nothing like directed case studies and practice to further your genealogical knowledge and expertise.

· Problem Solving

Have a brick wall in your research? This unique course is tailored to your individual research needs! Enhance your problem solving skills while working on your personal research project for a particular ancestor or ancestral couple. Don’t miss the opportunity to spend a week dedicated to researching your family!

· Utilizing Social History

This exciting new course–offered for the first time in 2014–is designed to help you put the flesh on the bones of your ancestors and bring them to life. No longer is genealogy about simply listing the begets, it is about telling your ancestor’s story.

Immerse yourself in a specific genealogical topic for a week-long educational opportunity that is unparalleled. Many of the courses are interactive and highlight on site research at the Family History Library (FHL) as well as one-on-one consultations with the course coordinators and instructors. These individuals are genealogical experts and provide guidance and insight that may help you overcome those brick walls and move forward with your research.

Attendees have time to explore Salt Lake City’s many attractions as well as spend time outside of the course researching at the FHL. The library is a short walk from the Institute’s location and, if available, the Radisson often provides shuttle service to the library.

Another benefit of joining SLIG this year is the ability to attend the Association of Professional Genealogist’s Professional Management Conference (PMC), which will be held the Friday and Saturday before the Institute begins. You can experience two great events being held back-to-back at one location!

Sign-up before October 31st and you will save over 10% off your registration. Become a member of UGA and increase your savings even more. The registration page can be accessed at http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?lv=r&eid=8. More information on each of the tracks can be accessed at http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?lv=p&epg=51.

 

–Debra Hoffman

SLIG Publicity Chair

What’s up?

When I started this year I didn’t intend that my blog would go silent. I thought it would be business-as-usual, with at least a good though-provoking post every so often. Sadly, as the year went on, the posts got less and less frequent.

Rest assured, though, I am not disappearing—just reorganizing my priorities. I will try to continue to post as much as I can, but my efforts in the field of genealogy are being refocused.

Among some of the things I have been working on this year:

• I taught at three major institutes, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (in January), the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (in June), and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (in July).
• I have written several articles published in various journals: two in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (December 2012 and March 2013), one in the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal, and one in Chinook, the magazine of the Alberta Family Histories Society. Several other articles have been written and are pending publication, one of which even (gasp) involves research into my own family. Even more articles are in various stages of completion.
• I have been assisting with the creation of the Southern Appalachians Genealogical Association. I am serving as Editor of the annual Journal. If any of my readers have an interest in the Southern Appalachians region, please join the society and consider writing for the Journal. The call for submissions is posted on their website.
• You may have seen me on the Chris O’Donnell episode of Who Do You Think You Are? That was fun. I am also credited (though I do not appear on-screen) for my research in the Christina Applegate episode.
• I have continued to serve my term on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Genealogists. I also served as Chapter Representative of Greater Philadelphia Area chapter of APG, helping with the chapter’s organization and incorporation into the APG—a process now complete! Unfortunately I will be stepping down from both of these positions next year.
• This month, I was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. I am looking forward to being able to contribute what I can in this position.
• Supplementing my genealogical activities, I have also been taking several online courses to continue my own education in several subjects. Some of these relate indirectly to my work in genealogy; some do not. You may soon witness the incorporation of some of these topics into my educational offerings.
• There are a few other projects I have been working on as well, but I am not at liberty to tell you about them yet. As soon as I can tell you, I will.

You might notice some trends.

When I first began my career as a professional genealogist, I wanted to focus on two things: writing/publishing and promoting higher standards for research. Over the years, in not wanting to turn down opportunities, I became involved in other endeavors. I spread myself too thin. So this year I decide to reassess my career goals, and have been moving away from anything that did not further my goals. My new activities will (hopefully) continue to reflect these goals.

Be patient with me. I plan to soon regain some semblance of balance in posting to the blog. I may not post as often as I once did, but it should be more often than it has been recently.

Michael

Warming up for genealogy season…

That time of year is upon us again. . .

Genealogy conference season.

Within the past month or so, we have already witnessed the APG Professional Management Conference, RootsTech, the Forensic Genealogy Institute, the New England Regional Genealogy Conference, and the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference.

Next week comes the National Genealogical Society Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Though I am not presenting this year, I will be there, volunteering at both the APG and BCG booths in the Vendor Hall, and just generally hanging around.

From  June 9 to 14, I will be teaching in the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. This year I will presenting the following classes:

• In Course 3: Research in the South: Cessions & Territories, “Maps, Atlases, and Gazetteers,”  “Finding Southern Records and Repositories,” “Records That Make Connections to Colonial Families,” and “Connecting Military Records of Southern Soldiers.”
• In Course 6: Genealogy as a Profession, “The Digital Professional.” I believe that there are still a few seats left in this course, if you would like to register.

From July 21 to 26, I will be teaching in the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. With John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA, I will be teaching in the course “Your Immigrant Ancestors’ Stories: Writing a Quality Narrative.” I am teaching the following session within the course:

• Lineage Presentation and Numbering Systems
• Evaluating Evidence and the Genealogical Proof Standard
• Editing and Proofreading
• Indexing
• Pilgrims, Adventurers, Servants and Prisoners: Colonial Immigration to North America
• Creating a Genealogy or Family History on a PC
• Electronic Venues for Publishing Genealogies and Family Histories

Registration is still open for the course. The early bird registration closes on May 15.

I have a few other events coming up this spring and summer in addition to the big ones:

• May 4, 2013: “What is a ‘Reasonably Exhaustive Search’?” for the Bucks County Genealogical Society, at the David Library of the American Revolution, 1201 River Road, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania
• May 21, 2013: Breaking Down Your Brick Walls panel, for the Delaware Genealogical Society, at the Woodlawn Library, 2020 W 9th Street, Wilmington, Delaware
• May 23, 2013: Building Solid Research Skills: The Genealogical Proof Standard webinar, for the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, at https://genpa.org/civicrm/event/info?id=64&reset=1
• May 26, 2013: “Of Sound Mind and Body: Using Probate Records in Your Research” for the Baltimore County Genealogical Society, at the Parkville Senior Center, 8601 Harford Road, 3rd Floor, room 308, Parkville, Maryland
• June 19, 2013: “Of Sound Mind and Body: Using Probate Records in Your Research” for the North Carolina Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists (remotely)
• July 17, 2013: “Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy” webinar for Legacy Family Tree Webinars, at http://www.familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=145
• July 28, 2013: “Genealogy Workshop: Researching Your Civil War Ancestor” for Bucks County Historical Society, at Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Hope to see you soon!

 

Virtual Professional Management Conference for APG Members

Are you unable to attend our upcoming APG Professional Management Conference (PMC) in person? We are excited to announce a virtual option for a selection of the lectures. APG has partnered with FamilySearch to offer streaming for the following lectures:

 

Tuesday afternoon, 19 March 2013, 3:30-5:00 p.m., MDT

Variables in Professional Genealogists’ Approaches to Research

Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

 

Wednesday afternoon, 20 March 2013, 1:30-5:00 p.m., MDT

Client Reports: Dos, Don’t, and Maybes

Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

More Than the Begats: Using the Law to Spice up a Research Report

Judy G. Russell, J.D., CG

The Best Educational Plan for You: The Workshop

Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL

 

The virtual option is available for APG members only. Pricing is $30 for Tuesday’s lecture and $65 for Wednesdays lectures. The lectures will available through the APG website as a live stream, with recordings accessible for one week. Log in to the APG member site and register at http://www.apgen.org/members/virtualpmc.html. For those interested in attending APG 2013 PMC in person in Salt Lake, 19-20 March, register at http://www.apgen.org/conferences/index.html.

We look forward to your participation!

 

Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG

Executive Director

Association Professional Genealogists

 

APG is a registered trademark of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Certified Genealogist, CG, and Certified Genealogical Lecturer, CGL, are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s Associates. All other trade and service marks are property of their respective owners.

Continuing education for genealogists

Continuing education is a very important aspect of being a professional genealogist, or becoming one. When this post appears a few days after my writing it, I will be knee-deep in the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, where I will be presenting nine lectures in two courses and a tenth evening lecture.

On January 22, registration will begin for the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University.

In May the National Genealogical Society conference will be held in Las Vegas. June will see IGHR and the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, July brings the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh and the National Institute of Genealogical Research, and August has the Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

In the meantime, dozens of webinars will be offered where genealogists can learn from the comfort of their living room. Other opportunities for distance learning include the certificate programs offered by the National Institute of Genealogical Studies, and the National Genealogical Society’s Home Study Course and other free and online courses.

For many genealogists, these opportunities and others are well-known.

Did you know that a number of prestigious universities around the United States now offer free non-credit online history courses taught by esteemed professors and historians?

Take a look at a few that have piqued my interest:

Open Yale Courses (Yale University)

• “African American History: From Emancipation to the Present,” Jonathan Holloway
• “The American Revolution,” Joanne Freeman
• “The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877,” David W. Blight
• “European Civilization, 1648-1945,” John Merriman
• “Early Modern England: Politics, Religion, and Society under the Tudors and Stuarts,” Keith E. Wrightson
• “France Since 1871,” John Merriman

BYU Independent Study (Brigham Young University)

• “Introduction to Family History Research”
• “Writing Family History”
• “Helping Children Love Your Family History”
• “Family Records”
• “Vital Records”
• “Military Records”
• “French Research”
• “Germany Research”
• “Huguenot Research”
• “Scandinavia Research”

OpenCourseWare, Utah State University

• “Guide to Writing in History“

Open Courses @ Illinois Springfield (University of Illinois-Springfield)

• “The Emancipation Proclamation: What Came Before, How It Worked, And What Followed,” Matthew Holden, Jr. and Gwen Jordan

New York University

• “New York City: A Social History,” Daniel Walkowitz

University of California-Berkeley (via Internet Archive)

• “US History: from Civil War to Present,” Jennifer Burns

 

There are a lot of other courses available online in addition to these. If you know of some that I have missed, please feel free to include a link in the comments below.

Schedule of IGHR Evening Sessions now available

The schedule for the evening sessions at Samford University’s Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research, in Birmingham, Alabama, from 10-15 June 2012, has now been posted on the Institute’s website.

The scheduled sessions are as follows:

Monday June 11, 2012

“The Library of Congress: An Introduction and Overview for Genealogists”

This lecture discusses U.S. passenger arrival records, 1820-1957, which are available online and on microfilm. It explains what facts researchers need to know to begin their search for an immigrant ancestor’s ship, as well as how to conduct that search. Specific examples illustrate how to exploit Internet databases, National Archives indexes on microfilm, indexes published in book form and other pertinent research tools. How to find the ship of an ancestor who arrived before 1820 is also addressed briefly.

• Presented by John Philip Colletta
• 6:00-7:15 p.m.
• Brock Forum, Dwight Beeson Hall

“Americans Abroad: Consular Records of the State Department”

In addition to diplomats, military personnel, or those abroad on official or semi-official assignments, Americans abroad-particularly in the nineteenth century, but also earlier-included many “ordinary” citizens: merchants, business men and women, middle-class travelers, naturalized citizens returning to their native countries, students, missionaries, artists, and others. Often circumstances caused them to seek assistance or support of the federal government while abroad. In such situations, as they interacted with the American government through its embassies or consulates, they created records, many with genealogical value. Those records are part of the State Department records in Record Group 59 at the National Archives. They begin as early as 1789 and continue to the present.

The presentation cites mostly records created in U.S. consular offices in France. However the examples are illustrative of similar records created in any other countries with which the U.S. had diplomatic relations-and thus had consulates where such records were created.

• Presented by Claire Bettag
• 6:00-7:15 p.m.
• Auditorium, Brooks Hall

Tuesday June 12, 2012

“Certification: Procedures, Questions, and Answers”

• Presented by Thomas Jones and Elissa Powell
• 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
• Brock Forum, Dwight Beeson Hall

“The 17,000,000 Stories of Ellis Island: What’s Fact? What’s Myth?”

Ellis Island occupies a mythical place in the history of our nation. And rightly so! But many myths and misconceptions about the place persist, distorting genealogical research and reporting. This lecture puts Ellis Island into its proper place in the larger context of U.S. immigration history, and in so doing, sets the record straight as to what’s fact and what’s myth.

• Presented by John Philip Colletta
• 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
• Auditorium, Brooks Hall

Wednesday June 13, 2012

“Genealogical Research: Online Resources – for Free!”

In the economically challenged world we are in today, free is good! There are many choice websites that have digital images, databases, text files, etc. available free to use. The presenter will provide the attendees with insight into what is in store for them when they search some of the popular, and some so not well known, free websites available to them.

• Presented by C. Ann Staley
• 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
• Brock Forum, Dwight Beeson Hall

“Using the Genealogical Proof Standard to Research Slave Community”

The Genealogical Proof Standard provides a measuring stick to evaluate the validity of your conclusions. By allowing the Proof Standard to guide your research, you can be sure that your research is as accurate as possible.

During the Haitian Revolution in the 1790s, many planters fled the French colony Saint-Domingue (Haiti) for the United States. The Vincendiere family settled in Frederick County, Maryland, on land now part of Monocacy National Battlefied (a National Park), bringing several slaves with them. Within a few years, they owned several dozen slaves.

This case study will show how the Genealogical Proof Standard was used to research the slaves owned by the Vincendieres, from Saint-Domingue to Maryland, South Carolina, and Louisiana.

• Presented by Michael Hait
• 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
• Auditorium, Brooks Hall

Thursday June 14, 2012 — Banquet

TBA

• Banquet Speaker: Larry H. Spruill
• 6:30 p.m.
• Cafeteria, University Center

For more information, visit the Evening Sessions page on the IGHR website at http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR_sessions.html

 

RootsTech Genealogy Idol — At least we won’t be singing

This coming Thursday, 2 February 2012, Legacy Family Tree’s Geoff Rasmussen will be hosting a session at RootsTech 2012 in Salt Lake City: “RootsTech Genealogy Idol.” According to the description on the RootsTech website,

Attend the first-ever RootsTech Genealogy Idol competition as four contestants – 2 live and 2 online – compete for your votes. In the three rounds of competition, contestants will demonstration their gen-tech expertise and try to woo you with their favorite gen-tech secrets. Everyone will learn – but only one will leave with the title of RootsTech Genealogy Idol. The competition will also be broadcast to a live webinar audience who will cast their votes live.

I am excited to have been selected as one of the four contestants. I will presenting remotely from my home in Delaware. The other contestants are Marian Pierre-Louis (one of my favorite fellow genealogy bloggers), who will also be presenting remotely from her home in Massachusetts; and two live presenters, Elyse Doerflinger of California, and Elizabeth Clark of Connecticut.

We will each be presenting three three-minute presentations on the following topics:

• Round 1: Favorite Technology Tip
• Round 2: Genealogy Serendipity story
• Round 3: Technology website or blog

At the end of the final round, the audience–watching live in Salt Lake City and via webinar–will vote on which of us will become the first “RootsTech Genealogy Idol.” I am sure that the voting will be extremely competitive.

If you will not be at RootsTech, be sure to watch the competition from home. To register for the free webinar, visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/754294750.

And be sure to vote for your favorite presentations!

See also:

Geoff Rasmussen, “Genealogy Idol Competition – finalists announced AND sign up to watch and vote,” Legacy News blog, posted 13 January 2012 (http://news.legacyfamilytree.com/legacy_news : accessed 28 January 2012).

Marian Pierre-Louis, “Participate in the 1st Genealogy Idol Competition,” Marian’s Roots and Rambles blog, posted 19 January 2012 (http://rootsandrambles.blogspot.com : accessed 28 January 2012).

Elyse Doerflinger, “Who Will Be The Next Genealogy Idol?,” Elyse’s Genealogy Blog, posted 13 January 2012 (http://elysesgenealogyblog.com : accessed 28 January 2012).

Registration for the Forensic Genealogy Institute now open

Today, 21 January 2012, the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy has announced the creation of the Forensic Genealogy Institute.

According to the CAFG website, the Institute “offers twenty hours of significant hands-on instruction with real-world work examples, resources, sample forms and work materials.” This will be an advanced course designed for professional genealogists, taught by working, experienced forensic genealogists. The instructors include Michael Ramage, J.D., CG; Kelvin L. Meyers; Leslie Brinkley Lawson; Dee Dee King, CG; and teaching assistant Catherine W. Desmarais, M.Ed., CG. Special guest instructors may also be announced.

For professional genealogists interested in exploring the field of forensic genealogy, or simply interested in expanding their set of research skills, the Forensic Genealogy Institute should help fill this need. To my knowledge, no other organization offers an advanced course focusing solely on forensic genealogy.

The Forensic Genealogy Institute will be held from 25-27 October 2012, at the Wyndham Dallas Love Field Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. Registration is limited to 25 participants, and is now open.

For more information, read the official press release here, or visit the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy website here.