The Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College is the first of its kind in the world. At the IGG Center, our vision is to bring expertise and ethics to bear on the three key area that are necessary for IGG to flourish as a tool of justice: practice, education, and research – these are the three missions of the IGG Center.

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Staff

Prof. David Gurney is the Director of the IGG Center and an assistant professor of Law & Society at Ramapo College. Prior to coming to Ramapo in 2019, he was a Fellow at the Wrongful Conviction Clinic (now the Innocence Project of Arizona) at the University of Arizona. He is a founding board member and president of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Accreditation Board, and he serves on the board of the Forensic Genealogy Special Interest Group for the Association of Professional Genealogists. He received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University and his J.D. from the University of Arizona. He also holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University, and he is a licensed attorney in Arizona and New Jersey.

Cairenn Binder is the Assistant Director of the IGG Center and the Director of the IGG Certificate Program. Cairenn has been at the forefront of IGG since its inception, applying genetic genealogy to identify human remains with the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project from 2018 through 2023. In 2022, she co-founded Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Services to fulfill the need for additional IGG practitioners to generate leads in violent crimes. She began working at Ramapo in October of 2022, helping to launch the IGG center in December 2022. Her casework has been featured on BBC news, ABC, NBC, Fox, Oxygen, and CourtTV, in addition to podcasts and digital media.

Tracie Boyle is Ramapo College’s IGG Case Manager and Administrative Assistant. In her role at RCNJ, Tracie communicates with agencies and forensic DNA labs as cases progress from initial referral through lead generation. Tracie has practiced as an investigative genetic genealogist since 2018, working to identify human remains as well as suspects in violent crime. With a genuine passion for genealogy, DNA analysis, and solving mysteries, she is dedicated to uncovering answers for families impacted by violent crime and loss of their loved ones.

Tracie is a co-founder of Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Services as well as a team leader and investigative genetic genealogist with the DNA Doe Project. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and is featured in the book “The Real-Life Murder Clubs: Citizens Solving True Crimes” by Nicola Stow.

Traci Onders is a Program Support Assistant at the RCNJ IGG Center. Traci worked as a Program Manager and professional genetic genealogist at an adoption support service nonprofit for over six years, resolving over three hundred of cases of unknown parentage and consulting or providing support services on many hundreds more. Traci has presented at national adoption conferences on solving for unknown parentage and conducted numerous trainings for DNA search volunteers. With extensive experience and training in mediation, diversity and genetic genealogy as well as many years of leadership in a wide variety of community volunteer organizations, Traci felt drawn to focus her technical expertise and passion for genetic genealogy on law enforcement cases. Traci successfully completed the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Certificate Program as a student in the inaugural cohort in Spring 2023. Additionally, she volunteers for the DNA Doe Project and Adoption Network Cleveland. As an Investigative Genetic Genealogist with AdvanceDNA, Traci contributes research to both unidentified human remains and violent crime cases.

Monique Platt is a Program Support Assistant at the RCNJ IGG Center. Monique has been a traditional genealogist since 2006 and expanded her research into genetic genealogy in 2021. She is a research volunteer with the DNA Doe Project and is the COO of InVGene Initiative, Inc., a non-profit organization founded to provide Investigative Genetic Genealogy services to rural law enforcement agencies. Monique received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has studied at Boston University, holds a Certificate With Distinction in DNA and Genetic Genealogy from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies, and was a member of the inaugural IGG Certificate Program class at Ramapo in the spring of 2023. Monique’s commitment to blending traditional genealogical methods with contemporary DNA analysis underscores her passion for utilizing IGG as a tool to unearth vital leads in cases of unidentified human remains and violent crime. She is strongly committed to Ramapo’s mission of expanding the application of F/IGG in post-conviction proceedings.

Marianne Hess Kouchoukos is a Program Support Assistant at the RCNJ IGG Center. Marianne holds a Master of Arts in History from Arizona State University, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic and Investigative Genetic Genealogy from the University of New Haven. Marianne completed the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Certificate Program in Fall of 2023 as well as the Ramapo College IGG Summer Bootcamp in 2024. She has volunteered as a genetic genealogy Search Angel at Search Squad, as well as a volunteer investigative genetic genealogist at Ramapo College IGG Center. As a former digital learning executive, Marianne has a strong background in teaching adult learners and implementing new technology to advance research.