Welcome to the new MSU Forensic Anthropology Laboratory blog! Every other week we will be posting news updates, current research, and highlighting MSUFAL alumni and current PhD students.

This year brought a lot of change to the MSUFAL! Dr. Todd Fenton, D-ABFA, who served as the MSUFAL director since Dr. Norman Sauer’s retirement, is now the Chair of the Department of Anthropology. He has dedicated his career to providing closure to families across Michigan and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. As a board member of the National Institute of Science and Technology Anthropology Subcommittee, Dr. Fenton has been instrumental in creating standard lab protocols for the MSUFAL, as well as developing outreach and training events and working relationships with medical examiner offices and law enforcement throughout Michigan. Dr. Fenton will continue to assist with casework in the future. We are grateful to have him as a part of our team and we wish him all the best in his new role as department chair.

Dr. Joseph Hefner, D-ABFA, a board certified forensic anthropologist, received his PhD from the University of Florida in 2007. He began his tenure at MSU in 2014 after serving as the Forensic Anthropology Laboratory Manager at Joint POW/MIA Accounting Agency (now DPAA). His research focuses on ancestry estimation research and statistical procedures used in establishing the biological profile for unidentified individuals. Dr. Hefner is looking forward to upholding the legacy of the MSUFAL and continuing to provide justice and closure to Michigan families.

MSUFAL would also like to welcome Dr. Carolyn Isaac to our team! Dr. Isaac was an MSU doctoral graduate and is serving as our new Forensic Anthropologist. Prior to her position at MSU, Dr. Isaac was an assistant professor and forensic anthropologist for Western Michigan University M.D. School of Medicine’s Medical Examiner’s Office. At WMed Dr. Isaac was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Justice to develop a database of cranial vault fractures of known age. By documenting the histological environment at specified times with associated gross, radiographic, and histologic information, she established phases of cranial fracture healing. She will continue her research at MSU while also teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses and aiding in casework with the MSUFAL. We look forward to working with her as her expertise will be a valuable asset to the MSUFAL.

Finally, we would like to welcome Amber Plemons, MA as our new lab manager. Amber is a fourth year graduate student focusing on forensic anthropology. She has experience managing bioarchaeology and forensic labs from her time in the masters program at Mississippi State University. This year, she will be working to create an intuitive, digital repository integrating all associated files with the MSUFAL donated collection while simultaneously revisiting cold cases.
We are excited for the future at MSUFAL! This blog will be written by our current PhD students including Mari Isa, Alex Goots, Kelly Kamnikar, Amber Plemons, Elena Watson, Micayla Spiros, and Rhian Dunn. Our next post will recap the MSUFAL presentations from the 9th annual FLAG conference, by our very own, Alex Goots. Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts every other Wednesday morning!
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