- Description
- Curriculum
A 95-year-old man, adopted as an infant, seeks information about his biological family. You agree to help. His autosomal DNA test results show both of his biological parents were 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. One parent appears to be Romanian; the other Polish. You take a deep breath, knowing full well, this case will not be simple. Endogamy and pedigree collapse are realities not for the faint of heart.
On day one of the workshop, we will work through the match list, painstakingly filtering, sorting and grouping, looking for patterns in the data that might provide clues to his origins. At each juncture, we will list possible next steps and discuss the merits of each approach before engaging in further research. We will practice disciplined, efficient research. We will resist the tempting song of rabbit holes.
We will focus on the Polish-born parent and his or her biological kin.
As the case unfolds, several obstacles emerge, common to many DNA cases:
• Sparse or non-existent trees
• Inaccurate trees
• Distant matches
• Endogamy
• Pedigree collapse
• People who used as many as five different given names throughout their lives
• Lack of record access in European towns
• Birthdates that are mere suggestions
• Blended families
• Ambiguous amounts of shared atDNA
• Immigrants travelling alone as part of chain migration
• Stowaways
• Poverty
To overcome these obstacles, we’ll turn to:
• Ancestry ProTools
• Unique records for Jewish immigrants in Chicago in the early 1900’s
• Admixture calculations
• REASONING
• Genetic pioneers
Before we meet for day two, you’ll have the opportunity to submit your own unknown parentage question. Questions involving pedigree collapse or endogamous populations will be prioritized. Two student-submitted cases will be selected and worked through live.
$260. UGA Members receive a 10% discount.
This workshop will be held September 29 and October 6.
Coordinator:
Karen Stanbary, LCSW, AM, CG, CGG
Additional Faculty:
Kaelyn Deeter, CG
Completion of Intermediate or Advanced-level DNA course such as Proving Your Pedigree, Integrating DNA Evidence, Advanced DNA Evidence Analysis Practicum, or similar course work. This is an advanced-level DNA workshop.
