Douglas H. Ubelaker (born 1946) is an American
forensic anthropologist. He works as a curator for the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, and has published numerous papers and monographs that have helped establish modern procedures in
forensic anthropology
Forensic anthropology is the application of the anatomical science of anthropology and its various subfields, including forensic archaeology and forensic taphonomy, in a legal setting. A forensic anthropologist can assist in the identification ...
. He has also done work in Latin America, with Native Americans, and assists the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
in forensic cases.
Life
Ubelaker was born August 23, 1946 in
Horton, Kansas. He became interested in Anthropology after working with Dr. Bill Bass on an American Indian project in the Dakotas.
[Ubelaker, Douglas H and Scammell, Henry.(1993). Bones: A Forensic Detective's Casebook. New York: HarperCollins.] He received his B.A. at the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
in 1968.
He spent the years of 1969 to 1971 in the United States Army. In the Army, he first served as a military policeman, then as a microbiology technician. Working as a technician connected him with the
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...
and eventually led to his employment at the Smithsonian Institution. In 1973 Ubelaker received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas; he is also board certified in forensic anthropology by the
American Board of Forensic Anthropology. He then returned to Washington to work in the position formerly held by
T. Dale Stewart at the National Museum of Natural History.
[ He also teaches a forensic anthropology course at ]The George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presid ...
.
References
External links
Smithsonian Institution Anthropology Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ubelaker, Douglas
1946 births
Living people
University of Kansas alumni
American anthropologists
Forensic anthropologists
People from Horton, Kansas