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MSUFAL on the road: American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting Recap

The MSUFAL team recently traveled to the annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting. The conference was held from February 17th to the 22nd in Anaheim, California and welcomes professionals and students from many areas of forensic sciences (e.g. Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Toxicology). Attending this conference every year is important for sharing our current research, getting feedback from peers, staying up-to-date on new methods, and brainstorming on future collaborative projects. While they are a lot of work, they are also filled with great times reconnecting with old friends and making new ones (usually involving food which is always a plus)!

The theme of this year’s conference was “Crossing Borders” which was upheld through sessions on identification efforts for migrants, international research, and interdisciplinary work. There was a total of 96 posters and 80 paper presentations in the Anthropology section over a span of three days. The posters included a variety of research topics such as methods used in estimating components of the biological profile (age, sex, ancestry, and stature), trauma analysis, and decomposition processes. Paper presentations were divided into nine sessions based on topic themes including: search and recovery protocols in wildfires, human rights and migration, taphonomy, strategies used in Puerto Rico Medical Examiner’s Office, isotope analyses, trauma analysis, and the biological profile.

The MSUFAL was greatly represented. All lab members attended the conference and we collectively gave 11 presentations (see below). If you are interested in these topics, you can read the abstracts here.

This year, MSU decided to initiate an annual alumni reunion event! The event took place at nearby dining establishment (Oasis Kitchen and Bar, emphasis on the ‘Bar’) where alumni, faculty, and current graduate and undergraduate students could interact. As a current graduate student, I was shocked by how many great forensic anthropologists have graduated from MSU. We had a great turnout and it was nice getting to know everyone on a more personal level. We are already planning the event for next year and are excited to see attendance grow over the years.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, a board-certified forensic anthropologist at Mercyhurst University (and previous advisor for our current lab director), for winning two major awards this year: the Outstanding Mentorship in Anthropology Award and the T. Dale Stewart Award. The mentorship award was established last year to acknowledge and award exceptional mentors in our field; Dr. Dirkmaat is the first to receive this honor. Mercyhurst University wrote a nice announcement that depicts his commitment to teaching students. The T. Dale Stewart Award is awarded to one professional (current, former, or retired) each year that has provided significant contributions to field of forensic anthropology. Receiving both awards shows how truly dedicated Dr. Dirkmaat is to our field!

Overall, we had an amazing time visiting, learning, exploring the city, and escaping Michigan for some much needed sunshine. We spent entirely too much money on coffee and food but, I think I speak for everyone when I say, we do not regret it. Next year, the conference heads to Houston, Texas and abstracts are due in August. Needless to say, the cycle begins again!

The Use of Eye Tracking Technology in Forensic Anthropology: An Empirical Approach to Advancing the Understanding of Complex Visual Tasks in Cranial Macromorphoscopic Trait Evaluations. Sherry Nakhaeizadeh*, Micayla C. Spiros, Joseph T. Hefner, Tim Thompson, and Ruth M. Morgan

Eye Tracking to Assess Decision-Making in Cranial Macromorphoscopic (MMS) Trait Evaluation: Implications of Education and Training in Method Application. Micayla C. Spiros*, Sherry Nakhaeizadeh, Ruth M. Morgan, Tim Thompson, and Joseph T. Hefner

A Comparison of Two Dental Age Estimation Methods Using Transition Analysis (TA). Kelly R. Kamnikar*, Amber M. Plemons, Nicholas P. Herrmann, Jennifer E. Spence, Yann Heuzé, and Joseph T. Hefner

A Geometric Morphometric Approach to Quantify the Impact of Admixture on Craniofacial Form. Joseph T. Hefner* and Amber M. Plemons

The Application of Fractography in Trauma Analysis of Complex Long Bone Fractures. Mariyam I. Isa*, Todd W. Fenton, Lillian Antonelli, Patrick E. Vaughan, and Feng Wei

Skeletal Preparation Using a Modified Steam Kettle: A Fast, Easy, and Low-Maintenance Method for Processing Human Remains. Kerianne Armelli*, Jered B. Cornelison, and Carolyn V. Isaac

The Repository of Antemortem Injury Response (REPAIR): An Invaluable Online Resource for Known Age Fractures for Comparison and Research. Carolyn V. Isaac*, Jered B. Cornelison, and Joseph A. Prahlow

Homicide by Unspecified Means: The Importance of a Forensic Pathologist and Anthropologist Teamwork Approach in Death Scene Investigation and Postmortem Analysis. Hailee St. Louis*, Jered B. Cornelison, Carolyn V. Isaac, and Theodore T. Brown

Lost and Found: Forensic Anthropology and the Recovery of a 21-Year-Old Plane Crash. Kerianne Armelli*, Carolyn V. Isaac, Jane Wankmiller, and Rachel E. Smith

The Histomorphology of Cranial Fracture Healing: Preliminary Observations. Jered B. Cornelison*, Carolyn V. Isaac, Wendy L. Lackey-Cornelison, Brandy Shattuck, Joyce L. deJong, Amanda O. Fisher-Hubbard, Theodore T. Brown, and Elizabeth A. Douglas, and Joseph A. Prahlow

Collaborative Approaches in the Identification of Transgender and Gender Variant Decedents. Amy Michael*, Mariyam I. Isa*, Lee Redgrave, and Anthony Redgrave

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