Dr Ruth Ballard

I'm a human geneticist specializing in forensic serology and DNA. I teach courses in genetics and forensic biology at California State University, Sacramento and developed the concentration in Forensic Biology within the Department of Biological Sciences.

I serve as an expert witness in court cases involving biological evidence and have issued reports and/or testified in over 100 cases in the United States and abroad.

I was the DNA advisor for the U.C. Davis graduate program in Forensic Science for five years and have taught courses for the California Department of Justice in forensic biology instrumentation and DNA extraction techniques.

In 2002-2010, I ran a research program in Tanzania and Kenya, bringing the first forensic allele frequency DNA databases to those countries.

In addition to my activities as a forensic scientist, I am a children's book author and artist who helps elementary school teachers prepare their students for a rapidly changing planet. In my author School Visits program,  Science Through Stories, I use my science-rich adventure stories, fairy tales, and colorful cartoons to teach kids the five pillars of ecological literacy and empower them to survive, thrive, and lead in the coming decades.

I am the author of two science-rich books for middle grade children: Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy and Tales by Moons-light: Stories from before the Great Melt. The third book in my Tales by Moons-light series, Elvia and the Gift of Passion, will launch in February 2023.

My writing is for middle grade readers (9-12), but my creative ventures don't stop there. I am also a folk artist whose unique, colorful cartoons aim to delight and inspire a broad audience that includes adults.