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A $2.1 million research project led by 甜瓜视频app alumnus Joe Hefner aims to transform the field of forensic anthropology.

Last week, at an event organized by the WCU Alumni Office and the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Hefner shared his academic journey and explained his team鈥檚 research to current Catamounts.

The MOSAIC project, or Methods of Sex, Stature, Affinity and Age for Identification through Computational Standardization, focuses on improving biological profiling used to identify human remains. 

The project is funded by the National Institute of Justice, and Hefner is its principal investigator.

To construct a profile for law enforcement officials or researchers, forensic anthropologists are frequently asked to estimate factors like age, sex, stature and cultural community from a complex set of measurements.

 MOSAIC, Hefner explains, aims to reduce subjectivity in those interpretations.

 鈥淧opulation affinity is kind of considered the hardest component of the biological profile,鈥� Hefner said. 鈥淧opulation affinity, as it鈥檚 practiced today, is an estimation of where an individual fits into the great picture of the human population.鈥�

 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing now is we are taking the nuance out of the traits for population affinity, the traits for sex, the traits for age, and we鈥檙e putting them all into machine learning models,鈥� Hefner explained.

 A team of graduate researchers at Michigan State University, where Hefner works as an associate professor of anthropology, is uploading skeletal measurements from collections worldwide to expand MOSAIC鈥檚 data set.

 By comparing new data against what鈥檚 stored in the model, the program can estimate aspects of biological identity with a high degree of accuracy using advanced statistics. Experts then interpret those results.

 Hefner encouraged students to study statistics for the future, to take all the classes they can and to be willing to publish their failures among their successes.

 鈥淚 think the big thing is to figure out what you love and do it 鈥� That鈥檚 what everybody says to do, but I think there鈥檚 a lot of truth to it,鈥� Hefner said. 鈥淏ecause for me, I always kept my eye on the prize. I eventually knew I wanted to be a board-certified forensic anthropologist, so that鈥檚 why I did everything I could to make sure that鈥檚 what I would end up doing.

 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I tell my students all the time to say 鈥榶es鈥� to as many things as possible, to get as many experiences in the field as possible, because every experience is gonna make you a slightly better forensic anthropologist.鈥�

 Hefner鈥檚 experiences in the field demonstrate the opportunities that arise with that attitude.

 While pursuing his master鈥檚 degree, Hefner assisted with recovery efforts after the Sept. 11 plane crash in Shanksville, Pa. During his doctoral studies, he joined forensic teams responding to Hurricane Katrina. And as a working professional, he helped identify missing U.S. veterans in countries around the world.

 But it took time, Hefner said, and ample encouragement from his professors.

 Hefner arrived at WCU in 1992 like many others, without a clear idea of what he desired for the future. Over five years, Hefner studied art, philosophy and psychology before eventually finding anthropology.

 Courses from WCU professors like Nyaga Mwaniki, Anne Rogers and Jane Brown grew his spark in anthropology and pushed him to be better in the field and the classroom.

 Hefner carries their legacy and teaching spirit forward in his work today. Returning to the place that bore his passion forth felt celebratory.

 鈥淭he community here is phenomenal, and so to get to come back and give a public talk about how important this place was to me is pretty special,鈥� Hefner said.

 WCU professor of anthropology Rhian Dunn is a former student of Hefner鈥檚 and said his visit helped students better understand the possibilities within the field.

 鈥淭o see that somebody else from the same institution has been able to get all this experience and make it in the field that you鈥檙e dying to be a part of is helpful,鈥� Dunn said.

 鈥淗e said yes to everything, and to show students that it doesn't have to be a straight and narrow path to get this career. You can try something else, and you鈥檙e still gonna learn something. We all have our own journey.鈥�

 For students in attendance, Hefner鈥檚 visit underscored the evolving nature of forensic anthropology and the many paths that can lead to a career in it.