For most people, murder, arson, and violent crime are the stuff of news stories and urban legend. But UT researchers who specialize in forensic work stare down death and sift through the ashes every day to help law enforcement solve mysteries and bring justice to victims. In this collection of stories, you’ll learn about the beginnings of the Body Farm, catch up on Forensic Anthropology Center research, and meet an alumnus who is the world’s leading expert on fire investigations.
Fall 2017
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Joy beckons just outside Chancellor Beverly Davenport’s office window. In the moments when she needs a break, she rides down the elevator of Andy Holt Tower and walks through campus where she sees students hurrying to class or taking breaks to study and socialize.
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In just 10 minutes in August of 1967, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote a song that would endure through generations to become the university’s unofficial fight song.
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Bill Bass had an idea. A big idea. One that would change the face of forensics forever.
When Bass came to UT’s anthropology department in 1971, that idea had already taken root in his mind. His goal was to have the means and resources to estimate the time since death for deceased individuals—something on which very little research was available.
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General Mike Holmes, named commander of the US Air Force’s Air Combat Command in March, first came to UT as a student when he was only five years old—but not as the youngest freshman ever.
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For more than 35 years, the Forensic Anthropology Center has been accepting donations of bodies to be placed at the outdoor research facility. More than 100 donations are received every year, the remains of which become part of the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection.
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It’s official, VFL Justin Gatlin and senior Christian Coleman beat Usain Bolt—the world’s fastest man—to take home gold and silver, respectively, in the men’s 100-meter final of the IAAF World…
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Since its beginnings, the Forensic Anthropology Center has been conducting research that continually pushes the boundaries of what the world knows about human decomposition. Take a look at three research projects that are helping to expand the world’s forensic knowledge.
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A building lies in ruins, its smoky shell all that remains. As firefighters turn their attention from battling the blaze to figuring out what caused it, their first call goes out to . . . an electrical engineer? It might seem an odd place to start, but when that engineer is UT’s David Icove, it makes perfect sense.
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From his first encounter with William Bass, P. Willey (’82) knew he wanted to become an anthropologist. You might even say his future was ordained.
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