Dr. John Cencich is a legal scientist who specializes in international crime, forensic interrogations and criminal investigative analysis. A former United Nations war-crimes investigator headquartered at The Hague, Netherlands, he led a team of senior police investigators on one of the largest international criminal investigations undertaken in history. These cases involved crimes against humanity including murders, assassinations, rapes and torture, and resulted in the indictment of the president of a country and the identification of 15 co-perpetrators for their participation in a worldwide criminal enterprise. He previously served for more than 20 years as a police officer and investigator, as well as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, working violent crimes and national security investigations. 

Dr. Cencich is currently serving on the Advisory Committee for the Study of Wrongful Convictions by the Pennsylvania General Assembly pursuant to Senate Resolution No. 381 (2006). His previous appointments include the Advisory Board for the Virginia Governor's State Agency Drug Task Force, the Virginia Attorney General's Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Task Force, several subcommittees of the Virginia State Crime Commission's Task Force on Criminal Justice Reform, and the Organized Crime Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

An experienced undercover officer and investigator, Dr. Cencich directed complex criminal investigations involving bootlegging, narcotics and the dismantling of organized gambling businesses - one of which led to Pittsburgh and to traditional organized crime families in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the mid-1980s. In 2005, the Senate of Virginia unanimously passed a resolution in the general assembly commending him for his outstanding service to the law enforcement profession and for his service to the commonwealth, the nation and the United Nations. Dr. Cencich previously served a special attachment to the London Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard). During his law-enforcement career, he received over 50 commendations including the Police Meritorious Service Medal with Bronze "V" Device. He is also the 2008 recipient of the Presidential Gala Award for Service.

As the director of the Institute of Criminological and Forensic Sciences, Dr. Cencich works with a unique team of forensic and behavioral scientists who provide specialized services and training to police officers, detectives, district attorneys, coroners and others involved in the administration of justice. These services include cold case files; forensic psychology and behavioral crime; computer forensics; forensic anthropology; gambling device examination; fraud examination; crime scene investigation; forensic analysis, reconstruction and interpretation of racketeering records; criminal intelligence analysis; and forensic interrogations of criminal suspects.