On July 21 members of the Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners had the opportunity to participate in an engaging webinar titled “International experience in solving major crimes. Effective methods of obtaining the evidentiary information”.

The webinar was led by renowned polygraph examiner and former FBI special agent (1990-2019) Michael de la Peña.

The event was organized for the Ukrainian polygraph professionals by Oksana Stevenson, Vice president of Axciton Systems (US based polygraph equipment manufacturer).

Michael de la Peña, Webinar speaker, July 2, 2025

The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners is committed to providing polygraph examiners with training at the highest professional level. We place special emphasis on regular continuing education for polygraph examiners including through online formats.

The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners extends our sincere gratitude to our American colleagues for generously sharing their expertise with Ukrainian professionals.
Here are a few impressions shared by the members of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners who took part in webinar, as posted on social media:

Oksana Trubitsyna, Polygraph examiner, member of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners:

“I’d like to express my sincere gratitude for the incredibly insightful webinar featuring former FBI special agent Michael C. De La Pena. It was truly valuable to observe the differences in polygraph practices between Ukraine and other countries and to see how these methods are applied across various cultural contexts. As someone working outside Ukraine, this perspective was especially relevant and meaningful to me.
I’ve always believed in learning from the best and this webinar was no exception. I’m genuinely thankful to The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners for providing access to such high-level in-depth training. Events like this genuinely help expand my knowledge base abd deepen my understanding of the global landscape of our profession.
A special thank you to the interpreter for the brilliant simultaneous translation. As someone with a background in a translation myself I thoroughly enjoyed the exceptional quality, it was a music to my ears. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard simultaneous interpretation done so professionally.
Huge thanks to all the organizers for your efforts and for creating opportunities for us to grow professionally alongside you.”

Liliia Ivanova, Polygraph examiner, member of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners:

“Many thanks to Oksana Stevenson for organizing the online webinar “International experience in solving major crimes. Effective methods of obtaining the evidentiary information”.
The speaker, Michael de la Peña, former FBI special agent (1990-2019) delivered a highly professional presentation, enriched with practical case studies and a strong international perspective. It was the kind of event that leaves a lasting impression and genuinely contributes to professional growth.
I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of it!“

Kseniia Babich, Polygraph examiner, psychologist, member of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners:

“Just completed an intensive four hour training led by a former FBI special agent focused on interviewing techniques, psychological methods and the subtle interplay of words, gestures and pauses.
It was fascinating to explore how tools for working with witnesses, suspects and evasive individuals are applied through the lens of American expertise. What we might interpret as emotional expression for instance, is often seen there as a potential sign of manipulation. Where we might pause in silence, they actively look for a key to unlock dialogue. The differences in mentality, cultural expectations and even thought rhythms were strongly felt and yet it was just as striking to see how universal things like attention, empathy and professional composure are in this field. I’m walking away with a wealth of insights, especially around the power of the very first question, how tone of voice can lower resistance and how “silence” in a conversation often says more than any spoken answer.“

Valentyna Makarenko, Polygraph examiner, member of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners:

“On July 21 I took part on the webinar featuring Michael de la Pena as the speaker.
It was both useful and engaging to see real case examples presented from the perspective of a different methodology.
Michael is someone with a remarkable level of empathy, something I could sense even through the computer screen.

I’d also like to thank Oksana Stevenson for organizing the event.
A special thanks to the interpreter, the quality of the translation was truly outstanding!
I look forward to future webinars! I would be particularly interested in seeing polygraph charts from real investigative cases.
With respect.“

Serhii Reva, Polygraph examiner, member of The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners:

“I had the opportunity to attend the webinar “International experience in solving major crimes. Effective methods of obtaining the evidentiary information”.
The speaker was an American polygraph expert and former FBI agent. I gained a great deal of valuable insight from seeing the approach of another experienced practitioner.
Thanks to The Ukrainian Association of Polygraph Examiners for the opportunity to take part in the webinar. It left me with a stronger sense of confidence and reaffirmed that UAPE is providing thorough, high quality training for its specialists.“

Participants also received certificates like these:

Thank you once again, we look forward to more engaging and insightful professional events to come!