Anthropology

All of our webinars, reports, podcast episodes, and other educational resources are available to the public at no cost.

Funding for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has been provided by the National Institute of Justice.

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Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library 2024

← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC), an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and the Forensic Sciences Foundation (FSF) supported by the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) Forensic…

2024 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium

Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at the 76th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) conference in Denver, Colorado. This…

What FSSP Leaders Should Know about Artificial Intelligence and its Application to Forensic Science In-Brief

Date December 2023 Overview Artificial intelligence (AI), which leverages computers to perform tasks that enhance decision-making, problem-solving capabilities, and technology-driven innovativeness,” is a rapidly growing area of interest for both industry and the federal research and development (R&D) community.1 For forensic science service…

Improving Methods Using Machine Learning and Databases in Forensic Anthropology

← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on December 5, 2023Duration: 1 hour Overview Part I: GeoFOR presented by Katherine Weisensee, Ph.D.Estimating the time since death, or the postmortem interval (PMI), poses a significant challenge to forensic…

A Landscape Study of Computed Tomography Scanners for Postmortem Applications

Date December 2023 Overview Advanced imaging technologies help medicolegal death investigation (MDI) personnel assess cause of death (COD) and manner of death (MOD). The Medical Examiner and Coroner (MEC) community utilize postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) to obtain imaging data to…

FLN-TWG: A Roadmap to Improve Research and Technology Transition in Forensic Science

← Back to FLN-TWG Main Page  Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG) The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International, formed the Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group…

2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle Crime Scene Examination Wordsearch

← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers click…

2023 National Forensic Science Week Interview Montage

← Back to Main Page Overview In the past, the FTCOE has released written interviews with forensic practitioners in various stages of their career and working in various forensic disciplines. This year, we created a video comprised of multiple interviews with forensic practitioners from seasoned subject matter experts to young professionals early…

2023 National Forensic Science Week

Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 18-22, 2023) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines.   Throughout the…
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Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library 2023

← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC), an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) supported by the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), hosted…

Dental Morphology: The Informative but Lesser-Known Traits

← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on February 8, 2023 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Estimation of population affinity is a core component of the forensic anthropological biological profile. Most forensic anthropologists rely on craniometric1 and cranial…

Transition Analysis 3 Age-at-Death Estimation: Past, Present, and Future

← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on December 7, 2022Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Whether the goal is to estimate the age of a single individual or those in a larger skeletal assemblage, accurate and precise estimates…

Forensic Fractography of Bone: A New Model for Skeletal Trauma Analysis

← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on November 2, 2022 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Fractography is a tool for studying material failure. Analysis of cracks and fractures can reveal information about how, why, and where a…
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Just Using Forensic Art and Anthropology for Identification

Original Release Date: September 30, 2022 In episode four of our Applications of Forensic Science for Human Identification season, Just Science sat down with Katharine Pope, a Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, Dr. Bruce Anderson, a Forensic Anthropologist…

2022 National Forensic Science Week FTCOE Student Research Poster Session

← Back to Main Page Overview Thursday, September 22, 2022 | Posters will be available at 1:00 PM Eastern Welcome to our virtual poster session! As fall semester begins and in honor of National Forensic Science Week (September 18-24, 2022),…

Society of Forensic Anthropologists Webinar Series

Overview The Society of Forensic Anthropologists (SOFA) is a non-profit organization comprised of active American Academy of Forensic Science members who are forensic anthropology practitioners. SOFA promotes communication and cooperation among forensic anthropologists and is committed to professional growth and…

Developing a Postmortem CT Service: Practical Considerations for Death Investigation Agencies

Date May 2022 Overview This guide will help medicolegal death investigation agencies that are considering adopting postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) make informed decisions. First, the basic questions are outlined that must be considered before approaching architects or gathering information about…
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2021 IACME Annual Symposium – Education Modules

Overview The National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has partnered with the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME) to bring the community free, continuing education modules recorded at the 2021 IACME annual symposium held in-person…
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2022 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library

← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC), an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) supported by the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), hosted…
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2021 Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders Public Meeting

Overview The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), held a Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders meeting on November 8, 2021 from 9:00AM…
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2021 National Forensic Science Week Practitioner Interviews

← Back to Main Page Overview The FTCOE has conducted a variety of written interviews with forensic professionals in various stages of their careers. From recent graduates to retired professionals, the FTCOE showcases real-world perspectives on the current state of…

2021 National Forensic Science Week FTCOE Student Research Poster Session

← Back to Main Page Overview  As fall semesters are getting back into session and in honor of the upcoming National Forensic Science Week (September 19-25, 2021), the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) would like to highlight student research…
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Introduction to the Forensic Anthropology Database for Assessing Methods Accuracy

This webinar originally occurred on August 31, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Overview Data availability is the cornerstone of progression of any scientific inquiry. For forensic anthropologists, the data sources are limited, as they must be contextually appropriate (temporal, geographical, etc.)…
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Just Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Pathology Portfolio

Original Release Date: June 18, 2021 In episode three of our 2021 NIJ R&D and Beyond mini season, Just Science sat down with Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist and program manager in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at NIJ, to discuss Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Pathology.   Danielle McLeod-Henning has been the physical…

2020 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library

← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center, an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Science supported by NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, hosted this Poster Session as an open meeting where…
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Just Blowflies and Extreme Temperatures

Original Release Date: April 17, 2020 In episode five of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Travis Rusch, a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, about fluctuating temperatures in forensically important blowflies. Forensic entomologists use predictable developmental rates of certain necrophagus insects to estimate time of…
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Just Skeletal Remains Identification

Original Release Date: March 27, 2020 In episode two of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Heather Garvin-Elling, Associate Professor of Anatomy at Des Moines University, about her work with OSTEOID, an online resource for species identification of skeletal remains. Approximately 30-40% of cases involving…

2019 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium

Date February 2019 Overview The 2019 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium is intended to promote collaboration and enhance knowledge transfer of NIJ-funded research. The NIJ Forensic Science R&D Program funds both basic or…

HHRRC – Building Forensic Capacity Post-Conflict: Lessons from Uganda

← Back to Series This webinar originally occurred on March 28, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview This presentation introduces research conducted in Uganda at the nexus of forensic science and transitional justice, highlighting a large-scale forensic investigation and human identification…

HHRRC – Stable Isotope Analysis in a Humanitarian Context

← Back to Series The webinar originally occurred on March 12, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview This webinar will introduce stable isotope analysis and its validity as analytical tool in establishing the geographic origin and life history of unidentified individuals…

Success Story: Uncovering Key Details of Skeletal Remains through 3D-ID Software

National Institute of Justice and North Carolina State University Date January 2019 Overview When forensic anthropologists investigate unidentified remains, they look for important clues that can help identify the subject. For example, the size and shape of the skull can…

Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Webinar Series

Overview The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) with support from the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence provides needed resources and support to apply modern forensic science…

Conference Proceedings: 2018 Research and Development Symposium

Date April 2018 Overview The 2018 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium is intended to promote collaboration and enhance knowledge transfer of NIJ-funded research. The NIJ Forensic Science R&D Program funds both basic or…

Success Story: Maximizing the Use of Mitochondrial DNA in Identifying Remains and Aiding Missing Persons Casework

National Institute of Justice and the American Registry of Pathology Date April 2018 Overview Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) serves as an important tool in situations where traditional nuclear DNA analysis is unlikely to yield probative information. mtDNA sequencing has traditionally focused…

HHRRC – Analysis and Conservation of Human Remains in Cambodia

← Back to Series The webinar originally occurred on May 16th, 2017 Duration: 1 hour Overview This presentation provides an introduction to the work conducted in Cambodia to analyze/preserve human remains from violence committed by the Khmer Rouge. Specifically the…
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Success Story: Creating an International Databank of Skeletal Biomarkers for Human Identification

National Institute of Justice and University of South Florida Date September 2016 Overview According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Missing Person and Unidentified Person Files, there are approximately 13,500 unidentified individual cases in…
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Success Story: Improving Identification of Mexican Hispanic Remains

National Institute of Justice and Texas State University Date April 2015 Overview In the United States, the Mexican Hispanic population ranks second in total size, yet Mexican Hispanic individuals often remain unidentified in forensic anthropological cases. The reason? There has…