In the spring of 2016, I was able to intern for the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State. During this internship, I was able to not only participate in active research at the facility, but also to gain a better understanding of the way skeletal research collections are maintained and organized. One project I was heavily involved in was the process of curating and inventorying any skeletal pathologies and traumas present in individuals from the willed body donation program at Texas State. My responsibilities included the documentation, photography, and editing of pathologies present on individuals. Through this experience, I also was able to gain a better understanding of the role of photography in forensic anthropology, and to develop the understanding that the knowledge of how light works is key to developing an appropriate method for photography in the forensic context. I was able to experiment with using different types of light to best illuminate areas of interest. I also assisted in other activities FACTS, such as processing, inventory and curation for the skeletal collection, and tasks for Operation Identification. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to complete this internship and highly recommend it for interested students.
Pathology and trauma photo of a rib
