MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN — A Montana State University researcher was included in
a front-page New York Times story on Monday for using audio forensics to help
the newspaper confirm the identity of a prominent Islamic State militant.
According to the article, The Times turned to Rob Maher, a professor
in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in MSU’s Norm
Asbjornson College of Engineering, and two other well-known audio-forensic
experts to confirm that Mohammed Khalifa, a 35-year-old Canadian citizen, was
indeed the man who narrated videos for IS. Later, The Times reported, a U.S.
official confirmed Khalifa’s identity.
Maher uses sophisticated software and other tools to analyze
recorded soundwaves and has published more than 20 papers on the subject. Most
of his audio forensics research at MSU has been funded by the National
Institute of Justice, and he has testified on audio evidence in courtrooms
around the country. Maher
recently authored a book, titled “Principles of Forensic Audio Analysis,”
intended chiefly for law enforcement officials and forensic investigators.
