Pamela K. Shaw

Pamela K. Shaw began her career in polygraph in 2000 while employed with the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, where she served as an examiner, supervisor and polygraph school director for the state during her 14 years with the Council. She established her own polygraph company, Shaw Polygraph Services, Inc., in 2006 and is currently owner and co-director of the National Polygraph Academy based out of Lexington, KY, which is accredited by the American Polygraph Association and recognized by the American Association of Police Polygraphists.

Shaw has made significant contributions to polygraph science through both research and education. She co-authored the influential textbook Fundamentals of Polygraph Practice (2015) with Donald Krapohl, which has become a cornerstone reference in the field. She served on the APA's Ad-Hoc Committee on Validated Techniques that produced the landmark Meta-Analytic Survey of Criterion Accuracy of Validated Polygraph Techniques (2011). Her research has focused on directed lie comparison questions, scoring systems, and the psychological underpinnings of polygraph testing, including notable work on the role of cognition and emotion in psychophysiological detection of deception.

Shaw served as President of the American Polygraph Association in 2012 and held other board positions for 6 years. She has also served as president and vice-president of the Kentucky Polygraph Association. She is the recipient of awards for her presentations and participation in committees responsible for publishing model policies for post-conviction sex offender testing, law enforcement/public service screening as well as the APA's 2011 Meta-Analytic Survey. Shaw has provided numerous lectures to state, national and international polygraph associations, as well as APA accredited schools, and has served as a consultant to diverse local and government agencies in the U.S., South America and Asia-Pacific regions.

From early on in her career, Shaw has been a strong advocate of education and professional practices in the field of polygraphy. Through her leadership of the National Polygraph Academy, she has trained hundreds of polygraph examiners serving law enforcement, government, and private sectors. Her collaborative work with prominent researchers including Charles R. Honts, Mark Handler, Donald Krapohl, and Raymond Nelson has helped advance evidence-based testing methodologies and contributed to the standardization of polygraph practices internationally.